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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. net — for catching
  5. pass — a permit
  6. clip — a video
  7. craft — boats
  8. net — after costs
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — the fish
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. clip — to cut
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chip — to eat
  16. tear — from crying
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tear — to rip
  23. craft — a skill
  24. tear — from crying

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