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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 116 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: pitch · chip · tear · key · plane · clip · last · mate

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. key — for a lock
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. key — in music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. mate — to breed
  11. last — finally
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. last — final
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tear — from crying
  18. last — to go on
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pitch — completely
  24. plane — a tool

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