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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bank — for money
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chip — for betting
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. clip — for paper
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. clip — a video

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