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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. can — to be able to
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. clip — to cut
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pop — music
  12. charge — in control
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pop — soda
  16. charge — a price
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin

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