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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. clip — to cut
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chip — for betting
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. clip — for paper
  12. prune — to trim
  13. clip — a video
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bowl — a football final

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