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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. firm — decided
  4. season — in sport
  5. firm — steady
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. clip — a video
  11. pitch — completely
  12. present — a gift
  13. craft — boats
  14. season — of the year
  15. clip — to cut
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. firm — a company
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. craft — a handicraft

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