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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. clip — a video
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. toast — bread
  5. shower — to wash
  6. file — a document
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. march — the month
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. shower — rain
  20. clip — to cut
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. clip — for paper
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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