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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — high quality
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. sharp — clever
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pit — in a race
  12. spell — magic
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. vault — a safe
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — letters
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fine — all right
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. spell — a short time

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