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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. net — for catching
  4. drill — a practice
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. net — after costs
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. can — a tin
  11. pound — a weight
  12. can — a tin
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. clip — for paper
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. drill — army training
  18. can — to be able to

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