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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.

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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: net · cabinet · jam · clip · mate · cell · mine · cap

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. cell — in a prison
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. net — for catching
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. clip — to cut
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — to breed
  22. clip — for paper
  23. net — in sport
  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