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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. clip — a video
  4. file — a document
  5. chip — for betting
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ball — a great time
  8. object — an aim
  9. clip — for paper
  10. object — a thing
  11. file — a tool
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. object — to protest
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bulb — for light
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chip — to eat

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