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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. march — the month
  3. root — the cause
  4. roll — a list
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. root — of a word
  13. can — to be able to
  14. clip — to cut
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. can — a tin
  18. march — music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. roll — a cake
  21. clip — a video
  22. march — the month
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bowl — to roll

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