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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: hide · clip · cue · chip · bank · court

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cue — for pool
  5. court — for sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a signal
  8. court — of law
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. clip — a video
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — a hint
  13. chip — for betting
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. court — of a king
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  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