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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. key — in music
  3. clip — a video
  4. current — of water
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cue — a hint
  7. clip — for paper
  8. key — the most important part
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. craft — a skill
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. cue — for pool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cue — a signal

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