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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bound — tied together
  4. clip — for paper
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bound — certain
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — completely
  14. charge — electricity
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bound — obliged
  17. clip — a video
  18. cap — a lid
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. clip — to cut
  22. charge — in control
  23. cap — of ice
  24. racket — a loud noise

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