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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pop — to visit
  4. root — the cause
  5. clip — to cut
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pop — soda
  14. clip — a video
  15. pit — a hole
  16. root — of a plant
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. root — of a word
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a dance
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fan — a supporter

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