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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: rest · plane · pass · jam · band · chip · snap · field

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chip — for betting
  4. field — a subject
  5. band — a ring
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. field — farmland
  11. snap — to click
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. field — for sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. band — a music group
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rest — a break
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rest — what's left

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