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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. club — for dancing
  3. firm — decided
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. firm — steady
  6. clip — a video
  7. charge — in control
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bound — certain
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. clip — for paper
  18. firm — a company

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