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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bass — low music
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — a video
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spring — of water
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. prune — to trim
  17. clip — for paper
  18. prune — to trim
  19. scale — in music
  20. spring — the season
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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