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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. net — after costs
  14. clip — for paper
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — in sport

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