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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. scale — size or range
  3. clip — a video
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bass — the fish
  6. prune — to trim
  7. land — a country
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — to come down
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. scale — in music
  17. net — for catching
  18. bass — low music
  19. clip — for paper
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. clip — to cut
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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