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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 124 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 seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rule — a law
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. object — a thing
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. suit — in cards
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fork — in a road
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. clip — a video
  22. object — an aim
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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