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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mark — a grade
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. clip — a video
  7. mate — a friend
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mark — a trace
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. clip — to cut
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mate — to breed
  24. prune — to trim

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