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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. clip — to cut
  6. saw — the tool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. march — music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — for sport
  13. march — the month
  14. chip — to eat
  15. court — of a king
  16. chip — for betting
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rush — hurry
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. march — the month
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. squash — the sport
  24. court — of law

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