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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. clip — to cut
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. firm — a company
  5. clip — for paper
  6. race — a contest
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rock — music
  10. race — humankind
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rock — a stone
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. charge — in control
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. clip — a video
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. firm — steady
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. fork — in a road
  23. race — the arms race
  24. firm — decided

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