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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. track — a path
  3. charge — a price
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. charge — in control
  6. clip — a video
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cell — in biology
  9. track — a song
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. clip — to cut
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cue — a hint
  14. club — for dancing
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. tube — a container
  18. club — a group
  19. cue — a signal
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. clip — for paper

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