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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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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 · cap · board · stem · current · chip · key · roll

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. chip — to eat
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. roll — a cake
  7. current — electric
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. clip — for paper
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. current — of water
  14. board — to get on
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cap — a lid
  20. roll — a list
  21. stem — to come from
  22. current — happening now
  23. key — for a lock
  24. board — a committee

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