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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pop — music
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rock — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bank — for money
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. clip — to cut
  14. content — happy
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. content — the amount

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