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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · jam · cell · roll · wake · march · chip · rock

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. roll — a cake
  3. chip — for betting
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. roll — a list
  8. wake — a trail
  9. firm — steady
  10. rock — a stone
  11. firm — a company
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cell — in biology
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rock — music
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com