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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. band — a music group
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mug — a face
  12. pitch — completely
  13. clip — a video
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. band — a ring
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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