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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 120 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: bark · bass · pit · snap · court · ruler · clip · can

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. can — a tin
  3. clip — for paper
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — low music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bass — the fish
  8. snap — to click
  9. pit — a hole
  10. can — a tin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bark — to shout
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. clip — a video
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pit — in a race
  18. court — of law
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. clip — to cut
  24. can — to be able to

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