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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: clip · temple · racket · safe · chip · pitcher · bank · content

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bank — of a river
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chip — for betting
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bank — for money
  11. content — happy
  12. clip — a video
  13. content — the amount
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. clip — for paper
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bank — for money
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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