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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. can — a tin
  5. rock — music
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — a video
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — a stone
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. clip — for paper
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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