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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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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: dip · ground · chip · cell · pit · jam · bound · race

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cell — in biology
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. race — the arms race
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pit — a hole
  8. race — humankind
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ground — a position
  11. bound — obliged
  12. race — a contest
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ground — the earth
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cell — a phone
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bound — certain
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bound — tied together
  24. dip — a sauce

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