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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. roll — a list
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bound — certain
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bound — obliged
  7. toast — bread
  8. last — to go on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. last — finally
  11. clip — to cut
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. last — final
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. bound — tied together
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. roll — a cake
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. field — farmland
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. suit — clothes

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