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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. clip — a video
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. clip — to cut
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. clip — for paper
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spell — a short time
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chip — for betting
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spell — letters
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chip — to eat
  22. spell — magic
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bore — to tire

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