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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. file — a document
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. squash — the sport
  14. file — a line of people
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. clip — a video
  22. pitch — completely
  23. file — a tool
  24. dip — a sauce

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