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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rest — a break
  4. chip — for betting
  5. march — music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. march — the month
  8. lean — to bend
  9. content — happy
  10. track — to keep track
  11. march — the month
  12. lean — thin
  13. content — the amount
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. track — a path
  21. clip — a video
  22. stock — goods
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rest — what's left

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