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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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. content — the amount
  3. file — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — for paper
  6. current — happening now
  7. clip — a video
  8. bass — the fish
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. net — after costs
  12. file — a document
  13. net — for catching
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bass — low music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. net — in sport
  20. current — electric
  21. cue — for pool
  22. current — of water
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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