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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. net — after costs
  3. clip — to cut
  4. club — for dancing
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cap — a hat
  7. net — for catching
  8. kick — in football
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — a video
  11. club — a group
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cap — of ice
  14. current — of water
  15. club — for golf
  16. cap — a lid
  17. current — electric
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mate — a partner
  20. net — in sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cabinet — ministers

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