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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. toast — bread
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pit — a hole
  8. clip — to cut
  9. content — happy
  10. current — happening now
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bark — to shout
  14. current — of water
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. current — electric
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — a trace
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. content — the amount
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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