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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. foot — a measure
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pop — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mark — a trace
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. clip — a video
  12. pop — soda
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. sharp — clever
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. clip — to cut
  24. foot — the bottom

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