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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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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: bowl · bank · pound · key · wound · clip · chip · temple

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. clip — a video
  3. key — in music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pound — a weight
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bank — for money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chip — to eat
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — for money
  24. bowl — a football final

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