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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — the underground
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. staff — a stick
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. court — for sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. court — of a king
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. court — of law
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stand — to bear
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mouse — the animal

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