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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. clip — for paper
  3. court — of law
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. club — a group
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stand — to bear
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. court — of a king
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bark — to shout
  17. court — for sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to click
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. clip — to cut
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. clip — a video

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