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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rash — a series
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — clothes
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. suit — in cards
  12. clip — a video
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. clip — to cut
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. chip — to eat
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rash — on the skin

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