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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. chip — for betting
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chip — to eat
  8. object — an aim
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. object — to protest
  11. clip — for paper
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. clip — a video
  15. kid — child
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. court — of a king
  19. object — a thing
  20. court — for sport
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — the animal
  24. court — of law

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