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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spring — the season
  3. present — the time now
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. clip — a video
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — of water
  11. present — there
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. row — a line
  18. prune — to trim
  19. clip — for paper
  20. row — to paddle
  21. present — a gift
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. clip — to cut
  24. coach — a trainer

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