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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: jam · ball · face · cue · tube · wake · chip · net

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — for catching
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cue — a signal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. face — to confront
  12. ball — a dance
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cue — a hint
  15. net — in sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. net — after costs
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. chip — for betting

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