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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 · squash · dip · bass · chip · band · rule · pit

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rule — a law
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bass — the fish
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. clip — to cut
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rule — government

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