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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. clip — a video
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. clip — to cut
  21. land — a country
  22. present — a gift
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chip — in a computer

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