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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 · rock · degree · jam · temple · chip · chair · track

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rock — a stone
  3. track — a song
  4. rock — music
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. track — a path
  13. degree — an amount
  14. clip — a video
  15. chip — to eat
  16. track — to keep track
  17. clip — to cut
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. degree — from a university
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. temple — side of the head

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