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

Word bank: kick · pound · track · tube · clip · jam · wave · pit

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. clip — to cut
  3. kick — in football
  4. track — a song
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pit — in a race
  7. track — a path
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. clip — a video
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tube — the underground
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pound — a weight
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pit — a hole
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tube — a container
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pound — to hit hard

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