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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. squash — to crush
  3. can — to be able to
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. clip — a video
  10. pop — music
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pop — soda
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. can — a tin
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pop — to visit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — the sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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