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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. firm — a company
  3. pop — music
  4. firm — steady
  5. clip — a video
  6. court — of law
  7. clip — to cut
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. court — for sport
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fine — high quality
  16. court — of a king
  17. pop — soda
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. can — to be able to
  24. firm — decided

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