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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. clip — a video
  3. scale — in music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. firm — decided
  7. fine — all right
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. firm — steady
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. firm — a company
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mate — to breed
  21. scale — size or range
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — high quality
  24. clip — to cut

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