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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. land — ground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. land — a country
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. content — happy
  11. rash — a series
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. land — to come down
  15. clip — for paper
  16. chip — for betting
  17. tube — a container
  18. firm — steady
  19. rash — hasty
  20. clip — a video
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. chip — to eat
  24. content — the amount

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