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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: ball · clip · cap · fork · bowl · row · game · ruler

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cap — a lid
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cap — of ice
  19. clip — to cut
  20. row — a line
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. clip — for paper
  23. game — a match
  24. ball — a great time

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