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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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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. clip — a video
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rule — a law
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rule — government
  15. cue — for pool
  16. clip — to cut
  17. spring — of water
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spring — the season
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cue — a hint
  23. clip — for paper
  24. chip — for betting

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