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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. scale — in music
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. court — of a king
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. clip — for paper
  8. staff — employees
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. staff — employees
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. court — for sport
  15. clip — to cut
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — there
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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