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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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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: club · wake · pop · clip · ruler · stick

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. clip — a video
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. club — for golf
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. club — a group
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pop — soda
  18. club — for dancing

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