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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. object — an aim
  3. clip — a video
  4. court — of law
  5. toast — bread
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. object — to protest
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. object — a thing
  18. clip — to cut
  19. kick — in football
  20. court — for sport
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. court — of a king
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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