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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mate — a partner
  5. clip — a video
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chip — to eat
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. kick — in football
  14. mate — a friend
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. chip — for betting
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. content — happy
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. scale — in music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. content — the amount
  24. cabinet — ministers

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