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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — music
  3. clip — a video
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pop — soda
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — to eat
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chip — for betting
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pop — to visit
  20. clip — to cut
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. chip — in a computer

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