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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: clip · court · foot · stand · jam · chip · track · plane

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. track — to keep track
  5. court — of a king
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stand — to bear
  8. track — a song
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chip — to eat
  14. clip — a video
  15. plane — a tool
  16. clip — to cut
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. track — a path
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. clip — for paper

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