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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. club — a group
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. clip — a video
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. club — for golf
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. field — a subject
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. capital — money
  16. field — for sport
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. field — farmland
  21. clip — for paper
  22. capital — a city
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rule — government

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