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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · kick · bay · current · chip · ball · tube · clip

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. march — the month
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. current — happening now
  7. ball — a dance
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. march — music
  10. clip — for paper
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. clip — a video
  17. chip — for betting
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chip — to eat
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. kick — in football

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