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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: chip · band · content · club · dip · ruler · jam · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. saw — the tool
  4. club — a group
  5. band — a music group
  6. dip — to sink
  7. club — for golf
  8. chip — to eat
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. content — happy
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. band — a ring
  22. club — for dancing
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. content — the amount

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