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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. face — part of the head
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stand — to bear
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. object — to protest
  13. face — to confront
  14. chip — to eat
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. clip — to cut
  17. object — an aim
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. object — a thing
  20. mine — for digging
  21. scale — in music
  22. clip — a video
  23. face — to point toward
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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