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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. club — for golf
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. bass — low music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. clip — a video
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. object — a thing
  17. club — a group
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fine — all right
  22. object — an aim
  23. clip — to cut
  24. club — for dancing

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