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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. present — the time now
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. present — a gift
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — in control
  11. cap — a lid
  12. clip — to cut
  13. degree — temperature
  14. charge — a price
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. charge — electricity
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cap — of ice
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. clip — for paper
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. present — there
  24. arm — a part of something

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