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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. content — the amount
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. club — for golf
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. clip — for paper
  13. club — for dancing
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. swing — music
  20. content — happy
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — a group

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