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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. game — wild animals
  3. clip — a video
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. clip — for paper
  6. chest — a box
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. game — a match
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. charge — a price
  17. chest — of your body
  18. charge — electricity
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — in control
  22. chest — of your body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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