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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pit — in a race
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. clip — a video
  24. mouse — for a computer

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