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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. clip — a video
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. clip — for paper
  6. object — to protest
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. squash — to crush
  10. object — a thing
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chip — to eat
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bear — the animal
  23. clip — to cut
  24. object — an aim

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