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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. clip — a video
  3. kid — child
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. clip — for paper
  7. scale — size or range
  8. net — for catching
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fork — in a road
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. net — after costs
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. kid — to tease
  22. net — in sport
  23. lean — thin
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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