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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. clip — a video
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. court — for sport
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. court — of law
  11. mate — a friend
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. court — of a king
  24. clip — for paper

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