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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. clip — to cut
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. net — for catching
  7. club — for golf
  8. net — after costs
  9. mug — a face
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. clip — a video
  12. mug — a cup
  13. net — in sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. club — a group
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pass — a permit

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