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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fine — high quality
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fine — all right
  9. bound — certain
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pitch — completely
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bark — to shout

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