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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. clip — to cut
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. toast — bread
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — for sport
  24. toast — the most admired

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