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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
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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: clip · field · charge · season · net · pop · spell · calf

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. season — of the year
  5. spell — a short time
  6. field — a subject
  7. net — after costs
  8. pop — soda
  9. charge — in control
  10. net — in sport
  11. charge — a price
  12. season — in sport
  13. field — for sport
  14. clip — to cut
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. field — farmland
  19. net — for catching
  20. charge — electricity
  21. clip — for paper
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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