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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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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: object · lash · deal · pitch · cold · cabinet · clip · scale

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. scale — in music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. object — to protest
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cold — an illness
  13. object — an aim
  14. cold — not warm
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. scale — size or range

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