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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. clip — a video
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bass — the fish
  6. current — electric
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. current — of water
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. row — a line
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bass — low music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. tube — the underground
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tube — a container
  23. clip — for paper
  24. current — happening now

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