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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: spring · object · clip · stem · kid · safe · chip · pitch

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — to cut
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stem — to come from
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. clip — a video
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spring — of water
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pitch — completely
  14. spring — a coil
  15. object — a thing
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. object — an aim
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. object — to protest
  21. chip — to eat
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. spring — the season

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