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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: clip · coach · lie · rush · field · mug · mark · pit

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pit — a hole
  3. field — farmland
  4. clip — for paper
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lie — to recline
  7. clip — to cut
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mug — a cup
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mug — a face
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — an untruth

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