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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. clip — a video
  7. mark — a trace
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bat — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mark — a grade
  17. track — a path
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. track — a song
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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