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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chip — for betting
  7. scale — in music
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fine — all right
  12. present — a gift
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — for paper
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. clip — a video
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. scale — size or range

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