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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. degree — an amount
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. track — a song
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — a video
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. degree — temperature
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. clip — to cut
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. degree — from a university
  18. track — a path
  19. chip — for betting
  20. plane — a tool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. cabinet — ministers

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