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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: last · march · jam · cell · chip · object · wave · date

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cell — in biology
  5. object — an aim
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cell — a phone
  8. chip — for betting
  9. last — to go on
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. march — music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. march — the month
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. object — to protest
  18. last — final
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. date — the fruit
  21. last — finally
  22. object — a thing
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. march — the month

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