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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. pop — music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. object — an aim
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cold — not warm
  15. fine — high quality
  16. clip — a video
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fine — all right
  19. object — a thing
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. object — to protest
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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