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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. face — to confront
  5. field — a subject
  6. clip — for paper
  7. field — for sport
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — a trail
  12. clip — a video
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. field — farmland
  19. chip — for betting
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. face — part of the head
  23. clip — to cut
  24. object — a thing

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