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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.

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: season · chip · temple · hide · pitcher · swing · clip · charge

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. charge — in control
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. clip — for paper
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — to cut
  9. swing — to play on
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. chip — for betting
  12. swing — music
  13. season — of the year
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. swing — in golf
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. charge — a price
  23. season — in sport
  24. temple — a place of worship

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