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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: hide · pop · cap · ball · racket · clip · chip · lash

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chip — for betting
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pop — soda
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. clip — to cut
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. clip — for paper
  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