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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.

Words on the sheet
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 · vault · foot · kick · fan · bass · key · game

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. game — a match
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. foot — a measure
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. clip — to cut
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. game — wild animals
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — a kind of play

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