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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. prune — to trim
  3. clip — to cut
  4. face — to confront
  5. key — the most important part
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. roll — a list
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — to eat
  13. roll — a cake
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — goods
  16. key — for a lock
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. clip — a video
  21. key — in music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stock — shares
  24. chip — in a computer

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