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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. root — the cause
  3. scale — in music
  4. clip — a video
  5. scale — size or range
  6. season — in sport
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tear — from crying
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. root — of a plant
  16. season — of the year
  17. mark — a trace
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. root — of a word
  23. clip — to cut
  24. tear — to rip

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