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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pop — music
  5. march — the month
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. march — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. charge — a price
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. march — the month
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — a coil
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  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