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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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