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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cap — a lid
  8. suit — to fit
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. clip — a video
  16. board — a committee
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. board — to get on
  22. cap — a hat
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bat — in an idiom

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