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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. clip — a video
  3. key — in music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. spell — magic
  10. fork — in a road
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pound — a weight
  14. spell — letters
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — for a lock
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fork — a garden tool

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