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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. clip — for paper
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pitch — completely
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — a gift
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. clip — to cut
  19. present — there
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. degree — from a university

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