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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. drill — a practice
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. suit — to fit
  13. drill — army training
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. suit — clothes
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rush — hurry
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. clip — to cut

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