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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cell — a phone
  4. can — a tin
  5. capital — money
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pit — a hole
  11. suit — to fit
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. clip — to cut
  14. suit — clothes
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. staff — employees
  18. capital — a city
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cell — in biology
  21. staff — employees
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pit — in a race
  24. can — a tin

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