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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: roll · ball · field · can · clip · cell · fork · pass

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. can — a tin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. clip — for paper
  6. ball — a great time
  7. can — a tin
  8. cell — in biology
  9. field — a subject
  10. clip — to cut
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pass — a permit
  14. roll — a list
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fork — in a road

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