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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. clip — a video
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — in music
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — to eat
  14. scale — size or range
  15. tube — a container
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. clip — to cut
  18. chip — for betting
  19. clip — for paper
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bat — the animal
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chip — in a computer

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