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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 116 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. chip — to eat
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pop — soda
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pop — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. clip — to cut
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wind — moving air
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. branch — a division
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chip — for betting
  21. club — a group
  22. deal — to handle
  23. club — for golf
  24. pop — to visit

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