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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: saw · clip · ground · jam · chip · coach · deal · mug

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. ground — a position
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. chip — to eat
  12. deal — to handle
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. clip — to cut
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — 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