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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. charge — electricity
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. charge — in control
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. clip — a video
  9. mug — a face
  10. charge — a price
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pound — a weight
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mug — a cup

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