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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: can · kid · clip · land · drill · chip · fine · toast

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. can — a tin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fine — all right
  7. can — to be able to
  8. land — to come down
  9. clip — a video
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. toast — bread
  13. kid — to tease
  14. land — ground
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. drill — army training
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. drill — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. land — a country
  22. fine — high quality
  23. clip — for paper
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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