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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: clip · chip · foot · plane · bat · hand · pitch · vault

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bat — the animal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. clip — to cut
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chip — for betting
  14. hand — help
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chip — to eat
  17. clip — a video
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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