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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 120 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. can — a tin
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. foot — a measure
  6. net — for catching
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. degree — from a university
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — to cut
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. degree — temperature
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. clip — for paper
  19. net — in sport
  20. degree — an amount
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. patient — a sick person

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