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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. clip — a video
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. dip — to sink
  6. club — a group
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — in cards
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. clip — for paper
  15. club — for golf
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pound — to hit hard

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