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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rest — a break
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chip — for betting
  7. foot — a measure
  8. present — there
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — what's left
  11. craft — boats
  12. pitch — completely
  13. clip — a video
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. clip — to cut
  19. present — the time now
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. present — a gift
  23. clip — for paper
  24. craft — a handicraft

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