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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. current — of water
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — happening now
  5. field — farmland
  6. clip — for paper
  7. press — newspapers
  8. field — for sport
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — to push
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. clip — to cut
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. field — a subject
  22. current — electric
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chair — to sit on

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