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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: court · pass · pop · calf · tube · dip · clip · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. court — of law
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pop — soda
  5. tube — a container
  6. clip — a video
  7. file — a document
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pop — music
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. court — of a king
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. court — for sport
  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