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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. clip — a video
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. current — happening now
  5. clip — to cut
  6. court — of law
  7. face — to confront
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. face — to point toward
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mate — a partner
  12. court — for sport
  13. squash — the sport
  14. clip — for paper
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mate — a friend
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. current — electric
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — of water
  21. face — part of the head
  22. court — of a king
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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