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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. clip — to cut
  3. game — a match
  4. clip — a video
  5. cell — in biology
  6. can — a tin
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. game — wild animals
  10. can — a tin
  11. staff — employees
  12. mark — a grade
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. can — to be able to
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tube — the underground
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cell — a phone
  22. clip — for paper
  23. tube — a container
  24. staff — employees

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