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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wake — a trail
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. net — after costs
  6. clip — for paper
  7. content — the amount
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. clip — to cut
  12. content — happy
  13. net — in sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. net — for catching
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality

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