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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 120 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. track — to keep track
  3. craft — boats
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. track — a path
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. kick — in football
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mark — a grade
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ball — a great time
  15. clip — a video
  16. track — a song
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mark — a trace
  19. craft — a skill
  20. plane — a tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bowl — a football final
  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