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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. clip — a video
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pop — soda
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rule — government
  7. pop — music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bass — the fish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rule — a law
  15. snap — to click
  16. craft — a skill
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pop — to visit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — boats
  24. bear — the animal

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