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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitch — completely
  8. charge — in control
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — for paper
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bear — the animal
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pop — music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pop — to visit
  20. scale — in music
  21. pop — soda
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. charge — a price
  24. clip — a video

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