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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. court — of law
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. club — a group
  12. chip — to eat
  13. club — for dancing
  14. track — to keep track
  15. clip — a video
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bark — to shout
  19. track — a song
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. track — a path
  23. club — for golf
  24. chip — in a computer

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