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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. clip — a video
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — goods
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stock — shares
  8. board — a committee
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. staff — employees
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. staff — employees
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitch — completely
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bore — to tire
  23. board — to get on
  24. staff — a stick

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