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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. clip — a video
  3. club — for golf
  4. plane — a tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. can — to be able to
  11. net — in sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — for catching
  15. can — a tin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. club — for dancing
  18. can — a tin
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — after costs

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