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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. clip — a video
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bank — of a river
  9. club — for golf
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. club — a group
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bulb — for light
  21. clip — for paper
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rock — music

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