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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stock — shares
  10. clip — a video
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ground — a position
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mug — a face
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mug — to rob
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ground — crushed
  24. branch — a division

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