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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. clip — a video
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — an aim
  7. fall — the season
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fall — to drop
  10. object — to protest
  11. craft — boats
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stem — a stem cell

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