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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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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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rock — music
  5. object — an aim
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. clip — for paper
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. clip — a video
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitch — completely
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rock — a stone
  15. suit — to fit
  16. object — a thing
  17. suit — in cards
  18. clip — to cut
  19. suit — clothes
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. object — to protest

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