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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. clip — a video
  3. can — a tin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pop — music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. suit — to fit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lean — thin
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pop — soda
  19. kid — to tease
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. suit — clothes
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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