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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — the time now
  4. root — of a word
  5. court — for sport
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. clip — a video
  8. chip — to eat
  9. deal — to handle
  10. root — of a plant
  11. clip — to cut
  12. swing — to play on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. chip — for betting
  16. court — of a king
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. swing — music
  19. present — there
  20. root — the cause
  21. clip — for paper
  22. court — of law
  23. deal — an agreement
  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