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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · clip · rule · cabinet · nail · season · game · mate

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. clip — a video
  3. game — a match
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chip — for betting
  6. clip — for paper
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mate — a partner
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rule — a law
  11. season — of the year
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. game — wild animals
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mate — to breed
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rule — government
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — to eat

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