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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. band — a ring
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pitch — completely
  7. clip — a video
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chip — to eat
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a music group
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. clip — to cut
  14. key — the most important part
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. clip — for paper
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chip — for betting
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. season — of the year
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — in sport
  24. key — in music

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