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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ball — a dance
  3. clip — a video
  4. cue — a hint
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. ball — a great time
  12. branch — a division
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cue — for pool
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. branch — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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