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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. can — a tin
  3. clip — a video
  4. spell — magic
  5. charge — in control
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ball — a great time
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — completely
  12. can — to be able to
  13. charge — a price
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spell — letters
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. clip — for paper
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. can — a tin
  24. ball — a dance

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