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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 116 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. land — ground
  4. clip — to cut
  5. court — for sport
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. current — electric
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — a stone
  12. current — of water
  13. ball — a great time
  14. court — of a king
  15. rock — music
  16. clip — for paper
  17. current — happening now
  18. land — to come down
  19. ball — a dance
  20. court — of law
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a lid
  24. land — a country

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