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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. clip — a video
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. clip — to cut
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bass — low music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chair — a professorship

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