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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. clip — for paper
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitch — completely
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. clip — a video
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — thin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — soda
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pop — music
  23. last — final
  24. pitch — a sports field

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