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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: clip · tear · cue · chip · stick · content

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. clip — for paper
  11. cue — for pool
  12. clip — a video
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cue — a signal
  17. content — happy
  18. chip — to eat

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