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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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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ground — a position
  10. net — after costs
  11. bear — the animal
  12. club — a group
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — a face
  15. clip — a video
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mug — a cup
  18. net — for catching
  19. ground — crushed
  20. net — in sport
  21. clip — to cut
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pass — a permit

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