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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. clip — a video
  3. roll — a cake
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. current — happening now
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — of water
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. scale — in music
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. scale — size or range
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. current — electric

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