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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. clip — to cut
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. branch — a division
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. board — a committee
  11. kid — child
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chip — for betting
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. kid — to tease
  16. chip — to eat
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. clip — for paper
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitcher — a jug

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