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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bank — for money
  4. current — happening now
  5. spell — magic
  6. face — part of the head
  7. clip — a video
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — of a river
  13. current — of water
  14. pitch — completely
  15. squash — the sport
  16. current — electric
  17. face — to point toward
  18. squash — to crush
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. face — to confront
  24. squash — the vegetable

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