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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. object — to protest
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cell — in biology
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. branch — a division
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. object — a thing
  19. chip — for betting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. clip — to cut
  22. object — an aim
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. present — there

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