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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. charge — in control
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rash — hasty
  5. court — for sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bound — tied together
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. court — of law
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. court — of a king
  17. bound — certain
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bound — obliged
  21. clip — for paper
  22. charge — a price
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rash — a series

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