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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. clip — for paper
  3. chip — to eat
  4. clip — a video
  5. firm — a company
  6. land — to come down
  7. pound — a weight
  8. firm — decided
  9. clip — to cut
  10. prune — to trim
  11. land — a country
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. firm — steady
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. land — ground
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. prune — the fruit

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