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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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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. clip — a video
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. clip — to cut
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. swing — music
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. clip — for paper
  18. swing — to play on

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