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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pit — in a race
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — for paper
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pop — soda
  11. ball — a great time
  12. board — a committee
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pop — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ball — a dance
  21. board — to get on
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mouse — for a computer

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