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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. can — a tin
  5. club — for dancing
  6. hand — in cards
  7. tube — the underground
  8. clip — a video
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. suit — to fit
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hand — help
  17. rock — a stone
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stand — to bear
  23. clip — for paper
  24. tube — a container

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