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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bark — to shout
  8. tube — a container
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. clip — to cut
  12. tube — the underground
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. clip — a video
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. racket — a loud noise

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