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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. scale — size or range
  5. clip — to cut
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. clip — a video
  9. fork — in a road
  10. track — a song
  11. chip — for betting
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. scale — in music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. clip — for paper
  17. chip — to eat
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. track — a path
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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