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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. clip — a video
  3. pit — in a race
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. court — for sport
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. court — of a king
  18. pit — a hole
  19. club — for golf
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stem — to come from
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. court — of law

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