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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. clip — a video
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. board — a committee
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. object — a thing
  9. board — to get on
  10. chip — for betting
  11. season — of the year
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. clip — for paper
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. object — an aim
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. object — to protest
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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