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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. clip — for paper
  3. press — newspapers
  4. clip — a video
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. court — for sport
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cue — for pool
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. track — a song
  12. cue — a signal
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. track — a path
  15. court — of a king
  16. roll — a list
  17. cue — a hint
  18. court — of law
  19. roll — a cake
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. arm — part of the body

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