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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. season — of the year
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. clip — a video
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bound — certain
  10. clip — for paper
  11. game — a match
  12. rest — a break
  13. chip — to eat
  14. season — in sport
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bound — tied together
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bass — low music
  24. clip — to cut

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