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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. spring — of water
  3. game — a match
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — to protest
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. game — wild animals
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spring — the season
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spring — a coil
  12. object — an aim
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. chip — to eat
  15. clip — for paper
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. clip — to cut
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rush — hurry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. object — a thing

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