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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: chip · cap · bulb · pitch · club · clip · press · mine

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. press — newspapers
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitch — completely
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mine — for digging
  11. club — a group
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — for betting
  14. club — for dancing
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cap — a hat
  21. press — to push
  22. cap — a lid
  23. club — for golf
  24. mine — an explosive

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