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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. clip — a video
  4. fall — the season
  5. clip — to cut
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rock — a stone
  9. roll — a cake
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. row — a line
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pitch — completely
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. roll — a list
  20. rock — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. row — to paddle
  24. safe — a strongbox

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