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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. clip — a video
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rush — hurry
  20. suit — clothes
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pitch — a sports field

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