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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: chip · lean · bass · bank · game · jam · staff · drill

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. drill — a practice
  6. game — a match
  7. bass — the fish
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lean — to bend
  12. game — wild animals
  13. staff — employees
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. drill — army training
  16. bank — of a river
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lean — thin
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — low music
  24. jam — in traffic

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