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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. clip — a video
  3. charge — a price
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. land — ground
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — in control
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — a tin
  16. land — to come down
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. land — a country
  19. can — to be able to
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rush — hurry

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