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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 120 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: mug · kick · chip · club · pitch · clip · board · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. mug — a cup
  7. club — for golf
  8. pitch — completely
  9. board — to get on
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chip — for betting
  13. board — a committee
  14. club — a group
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chair — a leader
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mug — a face
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. kick — in football
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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