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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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468
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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fine — all right
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pitch — completely
  14. clip — for paper
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fan — to cool the air

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