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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bear — the animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. can — to be able to
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. craft — boats
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. can — a tin

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