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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. root — of a word
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cue — a signal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bound — certain
  12. degree — from a university
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cue — a hint
  17. root — the cause
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. degree — temperature
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. root — of a plant

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