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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: stick · jam · pop · mark · chest · coach · chip · perch

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pop — soda
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chip — to eat
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pop — to visit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pop — music

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