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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. vault — a safe
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. club — for golf
  13. ball — a dance
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fork — in a road
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. tube — a container
  22. club — a group
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fork — a garden tool

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