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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: fine · clip · pop · chip · mouse · pitch · last · temple

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. clip — for paper
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. last — final
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fine — all right
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pop — to visit
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. clip — a video
  18. pop — music
  19. clip — to cut
  20. last — to go on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pop — soda
  24. last — finally

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