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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: pop · dip · clip · fan · fine · jam · game · toast

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. fine — all right
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pop — soda
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. clip — a video
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pop — to visit
  17. toast — bread
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pop — music
  23. fine — high quality
  24. jam — in traffic

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