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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fine — all right
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. track — a song
  6. rest — a break
  7. fine — high quality
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rest — what's left
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. track — to keep track
  16. scale — in music
  17. track — a path
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lie — to recline
  24. scale — for weighing

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