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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. tube — a container
  3. clip — for paper
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. degree — from a university
  10. staff — a stick
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bass — low music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. clip — to cut

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