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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. clip — a video
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chip — for betting
  5. clip — for paper
  6. swing — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bore — to drill
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. clip — to cut
  22. swing — in golf
  23. current — happening now
  24. fork — in a road

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