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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: foot · suit · scale · clip · season · bear · pound · pitch

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. suit — to fit
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pitch — completely
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. foot — a measure
  14. season — of the year
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. scale — in music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — for paper
  21. season — in sport
  22. scale — size or range
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pound — a weight

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