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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bass — low music
  3. club — for golf
  4. clip — for paper
  5. chip — for betting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chip — to eat
  11. key — for a lock
  12. club — a group
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bass — the fish
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. key — in music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. clip — to cut
  24. jam — in traffic

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