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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — a skill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. spell — letters
  13. craft — boats
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — completely
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. track — a song
  24. spell — magic

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