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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. land — to come down
  3. clip — to cut
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chip — to eat
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. land — ground
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. land — a country
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chip — for betting

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