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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: clip · wave · kid · ground · chip · pitch · swing · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chip — for betting
  3. swing — music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. swing — in golf
  7. ground — the earth
  8. clip — a video
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ground — crushed
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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