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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. court — of a king
  6. clip — to cut
  7. race — the arms race
  8. field — for sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cue — a signal
  12. race — humankind
  13. clip — for paper
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. race — a contest
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cue — a hint

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