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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. firm — decided
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pass — a permit
  10. firm — steady
  11. chip — for betting
  12. clip — a video
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. clip — for paper
  19. firm — a company
  20. ball — a great time
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rash — hasty
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ball — a dance

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