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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. net — after costs
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bank — for money
  12. net — in sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. net — for catching
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bank — of a river
  19. clip — to cut
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chair — a leader

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