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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 · drill · toast · bass · jam · stem · hand · field

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. hand — help
  4. field — farmland
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. chip — to eat
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stem — to come from
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. drill — a practice
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. toast — bread
  18. chip — for betting
  19. drill — army training
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. drill — the tool

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