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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. clip — a video
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. kid — to tease
  6. club — a group
  7. root — of a plant
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. root — the cause
  12. club — for dancing
  13. kid — child
  14. root — of a word
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pit — a hole
  17. foot — a measure
  18. club — for golf
  19. pit — in a race
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. chip — to eat
  24. foot — part of the body

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