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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 124 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mug — to rob
  3. season — in sport
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mug — a face
  8. season — of the year
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. capital — a city
  14. mug — a cup
  15. capital — money
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pitch — completely

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