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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. clip — a video
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. squash — the sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. clip — to cut
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — to crush

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