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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.

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: swing · key · fine · clip · race · fan · jam · content

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. race — a contest
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — the most important part
  16. race — humankind
  17. swing — in golf
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. swing — music
  20. race — the arms race
  21. content — the amount
  22. swing — to play on
  23. content — happy
  24. fine — all right

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