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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. track — a song
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. track — a path
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. clip — a video
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. clip — to cut
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — shares
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — goods
  22. pitch — completely
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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