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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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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 · fork · bear · key · track · mouse · mate · racket

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fork — in a road
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mate — a partner
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. key — in music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mate — a friend
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — the most important part
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. track — a song
  24. clip — to cut

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