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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · suit · clip · ball · fine · game

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ball — a great time
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ball — a dance
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fine — all right
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fine — high quality
  9. suit — in cards
  10. game — a match
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mug — to rob
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mug — a face
  16. clip — a video
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mug — a cup

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