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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. key — the most important part
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pound — a weight
  9. scale — in music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pit — a hole
  13. clip — a video
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pitch — completely
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. clip — to cut

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