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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bound · bank · field · chip · pitch · temple · rash · clip

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chip — for betting
  5. field — for sport
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bank — of a river
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. field — farmland
  14. bank — for money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — for money
  19. field — a subject
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chip — to eat
  24. clip — for paper

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