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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. clip — a video
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ground — crushed
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ground — the earth
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — the season
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ground — a position
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. can — a tin
  24. fall — to drop

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