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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · cabinet · pitch · cold · bowl · squash · patient · clip

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. clip — a video
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pit — in a race
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. clip — for paper
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cold — an illness
  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