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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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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: chip · clip · cap · temple · ground · pitch · deal · present

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — a gift
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. clip — a video
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. chip — for betting
  12. present — there
  13. ground — a position
  14. cap — a lid
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. deal — to handle
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. present — the time now
  20. ground — the earth
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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