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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — a hint
  4. clip — a video
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. spring — the season
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. race — humankind
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. press — to push
  15. race — a contest
  16. press — newspapers
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spring — of water
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bulb — for light

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