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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.

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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: saw · chip · staff · rock · rule · bat · clip · ball

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. staff — a stick
  6. clip — a video
  7. rock — music
  8. ball — a dance
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. clip — for paper
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. staff — employees
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rule — government
  20. rock — a stone
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rule — a law

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