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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 120 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. scale — in music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. present — there
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. clip — for paper
  14. present — a gift
  15. ground — crushed
  16. present — the time now
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ground — a position
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. track — to keep track
  24. scale — for weighing

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