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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pop — soda
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. clip — for paper
  12. drill — army training
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ball — a great time
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pop — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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