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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mate — a friend
  6. clip — a video
  7. mark — a trace
  8. swing — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. present — a gift
  12. sharp — clever
  13. net — after costs
  14. spell — letters
  15. present — there
  16. net — in sport
  17. present — the time now
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. clip — to cut
  22. spell — magic
  23. clip — for paper
  24. net — for catching

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