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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. tube — a container
  5. clip — to cut
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. swing — music
  8. degree — temperature
  9. swing — to play on
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. tube — the underground
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. swing — in golf
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. degree — an amount
  20. toast — bread
  21. degree — from a university
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. clip — for paper

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