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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: clip · key · sharp · field · tube · bark · object · pitcher

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. field — farmland
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — the most important part
  8. field — for sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. tube — a container
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — clever
  14. key — for a lock
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. key — in music
  17. object — a thing
  18. bark — to shout
  19. field — a subject
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. clip — for paper
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. clip — to cut

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