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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rock — music
  6. scale — in music
  7. object — a thing
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. object — to protest
  14. pound — a weight
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bore — to tire
  17. clip — to cut
  18. snap — to click
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rock — a stone
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bore — to drill
  23. object — an aim
  24. scale — size or range

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