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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. clip — a video
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fine — all right
  10. file — a tool
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wound — an injury
  13. clip — for paper
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chip — to eat

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