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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. spell — letters
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pitch — completely
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. clip — for paper
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. clip — to cut
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mug — a face
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. clip — a video
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rock — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. spell — magic

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