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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 116 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: chair · wake · chip · bound · pass · clip · ball · dip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bound — obliged
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wake — a trail
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. ball — a dance
  18. clip — a video
  19. ball — a great time
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. chair — a professorship

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