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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. clip — a video
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wake — a trail
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cap — a hat
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. plane — a tool
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. cap — a lid

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