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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. clip — a video
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pit — a hole
  12. snap — to click
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bass — low music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. toast — bread
  17. wind — moving air
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pass — a permit
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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