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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pop — to visit
  9. can — a tin
  10. clip — a video
  11. suit — to fit
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fine — all right
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. can — to be able to
  19. snap — to click
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pop — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — soda
  24. suit — in cards

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