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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pitch — completely
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. present — there
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. present — the time now
  16. march — the month
  17. present — a gift
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. clip — for paper
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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