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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. clip — a video
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ground — a position
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bank — of a river
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. clip — for paper
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pop — soda
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bank — for money
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. foot — the bottom

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