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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. clip — for paper
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. club — a group
  8. chip — to eat
  9. club — for golf
  10. present — the time now
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. clip — to cut
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — there
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fork — in a road
  19. can — a tin
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — all right
  23. clip — a video
  24. can — a tin

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