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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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Word bank
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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: pitch · clip · spell · season · cap · mark · scale · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — size or range
  5. clip — a video
  6. cap — of ice
  7. scale — in music
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cap — a hat
  10. spell — magic
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. spell — a short time
  17. season — in sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. season — of the year
  22. pit — a hole
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mark — a trace

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