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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bound — certain
  4. fine — all right
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bound — tied together
  12. kick — in football
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. clip — a video
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bound — obliged
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitch — completely
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. suit — clothes
  24. patient — a sick person

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