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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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468
Word bank
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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. press — to push
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — newspapers
  8. hand — in cards
  9. press — a publisher
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. season — in sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pit — in a race
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. clip — for paper
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pit — a hole
  21. clip — to cut
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. season — of the year
  24. hand — help

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