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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 · clip · pitch · straw · can · cap · lash · staff

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. staff — a stick
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. clip — for paper
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chip — for betting
  11. clip — a video
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chip — to eat
  18. can — a tin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. staff — employees
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pitch — completely
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cap — a lid

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