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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. clip — to cut
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pit — a hole
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bore — to tire
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spell — magic
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. clip — a video
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. clip — for paper

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