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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. clip — a video
  3. net — in sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. clip — to cut
  7. root — of a word
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. root — the cause
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bark — to shout
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. net — after costs
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. net — for catching
  21. staff — employees
  22. clip — for paper
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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