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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. degree — temperature
  3. club — for golf
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. club — for dancing
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bear — the animal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. degree — an amount
  15. clip — to cut
  16. degree — from a university
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. club — a group
  20. season — in sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. straw — dry grass

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