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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wake — a trail
  3. clip — a video
  4. pit — a hole
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. clip — to cut
  12. key — in music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. clip — for paper
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — finally
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. band — a ring
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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