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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pop — music
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. clip — a video
  8. toast — bread
  9. bank — for money
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pop — soda
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. snap — to click
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bank — of a river
  20. clip — to cut
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. date — on the calendar
  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