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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. clip — for paper
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fine — high quality
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tube — a container
  11. clip — a video
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. drill — army training
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fine — all right
  20. drill — the tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — an agreement

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