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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: safe · chip · tube · sharp · clip · racket · ball · board

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. board — a committee
  4. ball — a great time
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. board — to get on
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. clip — a video
  10. sharp — clever
  11. tube — the underground
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ball — a dance
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — a container
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. chip — in a computer

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