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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. clip — a video
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. clip — to cut
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bass — low music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bass — the fish
  24. clip — for paper

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