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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bark — to shout
  3. clip — a video
  4. cap — of ice
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cap — a hat
  12. drill — army training
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pop — to visit
  15. clip — for paper
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cap — a lid
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pop — music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pop — soda

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