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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. field — farmland
  9. can — a tin
  10. field — for sport
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. clip — a video
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rule — government
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pound — a weight
  19. field — a subject
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rock — a stone
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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