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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. key — the most important part
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pit — in a race
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. key — for a lock
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. key — in music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bulb — for light

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