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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. net — in sport
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — music
  8. net — for catching
  9. roll — a list
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. net — after costs
  12. present — a gift
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. present — the time now
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. present — there
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. roll — a cake
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. clip — for paper

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