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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. game — a match
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — a partner
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pop — to visit
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. game — wild animals
  10. craft — boats
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pop — soda
  13. bank — for money
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pop — music
  16. rock — music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mate — to breed
  24. craft — a handicraft

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