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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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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: pit · chip · stick · clip · wake · kid · mug · file

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pit — a hole
  4. clip — a video
  5. file — a tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. clip — for paper
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. file — a document
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mug — a face
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mug — to rob
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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