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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. clip — a video
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. clip — to cut
  6. present — the time now
  7. charge — a price
  8. present — there
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. swing — music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — in control
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. present — a gift
  17. pitch — completely
  18. swing — in golf
  19. root — the cause
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pound — a weight
  22. clip — for paper
  23. tear — to rip
  24. root — of a word

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