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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. root — the cause
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. march — music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitch — completely
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. march — the month
  15. clip — for paper
  16. root — of a word
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pass — a permit
  21. march — the month
  22. root — of a plant
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. clip — to cut

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