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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. charge — a price
  3. ball — a great time
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chair — a leader
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mug — a cup
  12. clip — for paper
  13. charge — in control
  14. track — a path
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mug — a face
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ball — a dance
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. track — a song
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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