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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. clip — a video
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. ball — a great time
  9. clip — for paper
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rule — government
  17. clip — to cut
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rule — a law
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fall — the season
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bowl — a football final

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