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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. clip — a video
  4. net — after costs
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. clip — for paper
  8. net — in sport
  9. suit — clothes
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — a thing
  15. pitch — completely
  16. object — an aim
  17. fine — all right
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. net — for catching
  22. clip — to cut
  23. object — to protest
  24. hide — animal skin

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