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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. game — a match
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. clip — for paper
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. net — in sport
  14. game — wild animals
  15. tube — a container
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. net — after costs
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. net — for catching
  22. clip — a video
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tube — in a tire

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