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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 · foot · plane · club · saw · staff · net · chip

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. net — in sport
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. club — for dancing
  4. clip — to cut
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chip — to eat
  7. club — a group
  8. saw — the tool
  9. net — for catching
  10. staff — employees
  11. saw — the tool
  12. clip — for paper
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. clip — a video
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. net — after costs
  20. plane — a tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. club — for golf
  23. staff — employees
  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