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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. swing — to play on
  4. clip — a video
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. clip — to cut
  8. swing — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. net — after costs
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. swing — in golf
  23. net — for catching
  24. arm — 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