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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · cabinet · track · root · clip · chair · land · chip

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. track — a song
  3. clip — to cut
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. root — of a word
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. land — a country
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. root — of a plant
  14. clip — for paper
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. track — a path
  19. land — ground
  20. chair — a leader
  21. root — the cause
  22. track — to keep track
  23. clip — a video
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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