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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. clip — to cut
  3. land — a country
  4. clip — a video
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — ground
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pitch — completely
  16. land — to come down
  17. chest — of your body
  18. club — a group
  19. rash — a series
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bank — for money
  22. chest — a box
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. club — for golf

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