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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. clip — a video
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fine — high quality
  6. key — the most important part
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — a grade
  9. track — to keep track
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — a song
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stem — to come from
  14. key — for a lock
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fine — all right
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. clip — to cut
  24. track — a path

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