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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: chip · key · bay · jam · pitch · clip · plane · land

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. key — for a lock
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitch — completely
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. plane — a tool
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. land — to come down
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. land — ground
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. land — a country
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. key — in music

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