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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: date · bass · clip · chip · pass · wax · jam · fork

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bass — low music
  10. pass — a permit
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fork — in a road
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. date — the fruit
  15. chip — to eat
  16. clip — a video
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chip — in a computer

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