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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. can — to be able to
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — goods
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stock — shares
  17. capital — money
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. roll — a cake
  21. can — a tin
  22. capital — a city
  23. roll — a list
  24. pass — to succeed

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