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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. clip — a video
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. suit — to fit
  6. content — happy
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. band — a ring
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. firm — steady
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. clip — for paper
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. band — a music group
  24. suit — in cards

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