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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. clip — a video
  3. track — a path
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. march — music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. march — the month
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — a song
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. clip — for paper
  20. march — the month
  21. track — to keep track
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bank — for money
  24. roll — a cake

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