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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: racket · bear · craft · net · pass · march · lean · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. net — for catching
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. craft — a skill
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. net — in sport
  14. pass — a permit
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lean — thin
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bear — the animal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. march — the month
  24. net — after costs

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