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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rash — a series
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ball — a great time
  12. clip — a video
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. clip — to cut
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cabinet — ministers

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