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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — for betting
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spell — magic
  14. pit — a hole
  15. season — of the year
  16. ball — a dance
  17. clip — a video
  18. spell — a short time
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. clip — for paper
  22. season — in sport
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — exactly

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