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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chip — for betting
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chip — to eat
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — decided
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. clip — for paper
  24. racket — for tennis

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