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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rush — hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. clip — to cut
  9. ground — a position
  10. cue — a signal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. charge — a price
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ground — the earth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. deal — to handle
  22. clip — for paper
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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