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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. current — electric
  3. capital — money
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. scale — size or range
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. capital — a city
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. scale — in music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — of water
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bank — for money
  23. clip — for paper
  24. current — happening now

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