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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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468
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. clip — a video
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. craft — a skill
  12. clip — to cut
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kick — in football
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. club — a group
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. clip — for paper
  24. craft — boats

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