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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. can — to be able to
  6. present — the time now
  7. clip — a video
  8. mug — a cup
  9. present — a gift
  10. clip — for paper
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mug — a face
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. capital — a city
  15. clip — to cut
  16. present — there
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mug — to rob
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. capital — money
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. can — a tin

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