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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — for pool
  4. clip — to cut
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. file — a line of people
  7. net — in sport
  8. clip — a video
  9. cue — a signal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tube — the underground
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. clip — for paper
  18. net — for catching
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — low music
  22. net — after costs
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. file — a document

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