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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. clip — a video
  5. chip — to eat
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rule — a law
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rule — government
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. clip — for paper
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bulb — of a plant

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