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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. clip — to cut
  9. squash — the sport
  10. clip — a video
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chip — for betting
  15. key — the most important part
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — in music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rash — a series
  20. squash — to crush
  21. season — of the year
  22. clip — for paper
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitch — completely

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