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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cap — a lid
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — a video
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. can — a tin
  11. band — a ring
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. band — a music group
  14. bass — low music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. charge — in control
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. clip — to cut
  24. cap — a hat

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