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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bank — for money
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bank — for money
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pit — in a race

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