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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: coach · chip · jam · cue · wake · dip · content · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. dip — to sink
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chip — for betting
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. content — happy
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — the amount
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pop — music
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pop — to visit

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