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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 116 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: object · swing · cue · clip · ball · mine · bass · plane

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bass — the fish
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. object — an aim
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cue — a signal
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bass — low music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. object — to protest
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. object — a thing
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mine — for digging
  21. clip — for paper
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cue — for pool

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