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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chip — for betting
  3. clip — to cut
  4. present — there
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. present — the time now
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. present — a gift
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. staff — a stick
  22. clip — a video
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. clip — for paper

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