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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ground — the earth
  3. charge — in control
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — for pool
  6. toast — bread
  7. plane — a tool
  8. clip — to cut
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cue — a signal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. clip — a video
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ground — a position
  23. row — to paddle
  24. deal — a big deal

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