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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. net — after costs
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pitch — completely
  12. net — in sport
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. charge — electricity
  16. clip — to cut
  17. suit — clothes
  18. net — for catching
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. clip — for paper
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. clip — a video

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