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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · clip · file · wake · drill · key · chip · fine

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. fine — high quality
  3. file — a document
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fine — all right
  7. chip — for betting
  8. key — in music
  9. wake — a trail
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. clip — for paper
  12. chip — to eat
  13. drill — army training
  14. file — a tool
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. file — a line of people
  18. key — the most important part
  19. clip — a video
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. clip — to cut
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. drill — a practice

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