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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. court — of law
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. object — to protest
  6. clip — to cut
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — magic
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. court — for sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. spell — a short time
  15. court — of a king
  16. spell — letters
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. object — an aim
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. clip — a video
  22. object — a thing
  23. season — of the year
  24. clip — for paper

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