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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.

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: object · spell · coach · present · mark · current · clip · pitcher

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. current — electric
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. current — of water
  6. spell — magic
  7. clip — to cut
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — there
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — an aim
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. clip — for paper
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. present — the time now
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. present — a gift
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. coach — a trainer

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