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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. kick — in football
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. object — a thing
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. object — an aim
  13. pit — in a race
  14. clip — for paper
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. object — to protest
  21. mark — a trace
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mark — a grade

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