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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. can — a tin
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. clip — a video
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pass — a permit
  19. squash — to crush
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chest — a box
  23. can — to be able to
  24. squash — the sport

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