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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. root — the cause
  3. cue — a signal
  4. clip — a video
  5. file — a tool
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bulb — for light
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. foot — a measure
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. file — a document
  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