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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 120 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
468
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: clip · suit · pass · present · ball · fan · capital · kick

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. present — a gift
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. suit — in cards
  14. present — the time now
  15. capital — a city
  16. pass — a permit
  17. suit — to fit
  18. present — there
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. capital — money
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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