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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pop — soda
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. can — a tin
  11. pop — to visit
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rock — music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pop — music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cue — for pool
  24. clip — a video

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