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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: clip · chip · firm · squash · hand · ball · charge · pop

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. firm — a company
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. charge — a price
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. clip — to cut
  16. hand — help
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. charge — in control
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ball — a great time

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