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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. clip — a video
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stem — to come from
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — a face
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cue — a hint

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