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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. date — the fruit
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. club — a group
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. club — for golf
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cue — for pool
  16. clip — a video
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cue — a signal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. saw — the tool

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