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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. chip — for betting
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chip — to eat
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. clip — a video
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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