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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pit — in a race
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. track — a song
  6. clip — to cut
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bass — the fish
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fall — the season
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bass — low music
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fall — to drop
  24. clip — a video

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