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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. suit — in cards
  3. scale — size or range
  4. clip — to cut
  5. chip — for betting
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. suit — clothes
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. chip — to eat
  15. clip — a video
  16. suit — to fit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. clip — for paper
  22. drill — army training
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pitch — completely

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