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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. chip — for betting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. clip — a video
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bound — certain
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — completely

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