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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. track — a song
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. mark — a grade
  14. club — for golf
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. club — a group
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. clip — a video
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bear — the animal

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