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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 · wake · dip · content · plane · tube · fork · bowl

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wake — a trail
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. content — happy
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fork — in a road
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fork — a garden tool

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