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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pitch · clip · rock · land · leaves · bore · stand

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chip — for betting
  3. land — to come down
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chip — to eat
  10. land — ground
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bore — to drill
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rock — a stone
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rock — music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. clip — a video
  22. land — a country
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. clip — for paper

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