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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: plane · chip · craft · patient · pound · swing · bowl · clip

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. swing — in golf
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — for paper
  17. swing — music
  18. craft — boats
  19. swing — to play on
  20. clip — a video
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pound — a weight
  24. chip — for betting

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