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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: clip · race · cue · date · wake · key · bark · charge

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cue — for pool
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. race — a contest
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. charge — a price
  10. cue — a signal
  11. clip — to cut
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. race — humankind
  18. bark — to shout
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. date — the fruit
  24. clip — for paper

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