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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · pit · march · board · mug · chip · net · clip

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. net — for catching
  4. march — music
  5. mug — to rob
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chip — to eat
  9. net — in sport
  10. march — the month
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. board — a committee
  16. clip — a video
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. chip — for betting
  19. board — to get on
  20. pit — in a race
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mug — a face
  23. pit — a hole
  24. net — after costs

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