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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. clip — a video
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — a stone
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. clip — to cut
  13. can — to be able to
  14. court — for sport
  15. land — ground
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. clip — for paper
  18. court — of a king
  19. chip — to eat
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — music
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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