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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rash — a series
  4. branch — a division
  5. current — electric
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. roll — a cake
  9. clip — to cut
  10. capital — money
  11. fine — high quality
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rash — hasty
  14. capital — a city
  15. current — of water
  16. suit — to fit
  17. current — happening now
  18. roll — a list
  19. fine — all right
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. clip — for paper
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. capital — a big letter

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