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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. clip — to cut
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. clip — for paper
  20. root — of a word
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. suit — in cards
  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