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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · clip · swing · arm · toast · chip · bulb · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. toast — bread
  8. chip — to eat
  9. swing — music
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. can — to be able to
  17. swing — in golf
  18. clip — for paper
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. swing — to play on
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. chip — for betting
  24. clip — a video

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