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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. clip — a video
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tube — a container
  16. pound — a weight
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. tube — the underground
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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