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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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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: bank · craft · chip · temple · content · pitch · clip · coach

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bank — for money
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. craft — boats
  9. content — happy
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. craft — a skill
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. content — the amount
  23. chip — for betting
  24. clip — to cut

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