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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. present — a gift
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. track — a path
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pitch — completely
  13. present — there
  14. track — a song
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mark — a trace
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. clip — for paper
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. present — the time now

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