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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. charge — in control
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. clip — a video
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chip — for betting
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. band — a music group
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to click
  16. chip — to eat
  17. band — a ring
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. hand — help
  20. charge — a price
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bank — of a river
  23. charge — electricity
  24. clip — for paper

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