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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. clip — a video
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pit — a hole
  12. saw — the tool
  13. content — the amount
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. content — happy
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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