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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. file — a document
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pitch — completely
  6. present — the time now
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pop — to visit
  10. clip — a video
  11. present — a gift
  12. file — a tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pop — soda
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. present — there
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pop — music
  23. file — a line of people
  24. squash — the sport

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