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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 116 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 · ball · chip · saw · cue · bowl · kick · bank

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bank — of a river
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bank — for money
  11. ball — a great time
  12. clip — a video
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chip — to eat
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cue — a hint
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. kick — in football

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