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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: stock · jam · temple · fan · ball · wound · chip · clip

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. clip — for paper
  7. chip — to eat
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stock — shares
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stock — goods
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wound — an injury
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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