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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · plane · jam · stem · clip · squash · chip · bass

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. file — a line of people
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. squash — the sport
  9. clip — to cut
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bass — low music
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. squash — to crush
  15. file — a document
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. file — a tool
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. chip — for betting
  23. plane — a tool
  24. chip — in a computer

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