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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. can — a tin
  3. clip — a video
  4. bass — the fish
  5. root — of a plant
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fall — to drop
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. present — a gift
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. can — to be able to
  14. present — there
  15. root — the cause
  16. bass — low music
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. sharp — clever
  22. root — of a word
  23. present — the time now
  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