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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. court — of law
  4. clip — to cut
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — of a king
  7. root — of a word
  8. court — for sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fine — high quality
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. can — a tin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. band — a ring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fine — all right
  21. can — to be able to
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a music group

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