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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: ball · bass · firm · wave · chip · jam · clip · bay

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. firm — steady
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. clip — for paper
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bass — the fish
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. firm — decided
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chip — to eat
  23. clip — a video
  24. firm — a company

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