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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. clip — to cut
  7. row — to paddle
  8. foot — a measure
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. clip — for paper
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. row — a line
  18. spell — magic
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitch — completely
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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