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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · charge · pitch · squash · foot · mug · clip · arm

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. clip — a video
  3. pitch — completely
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — electricity
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. clip — for paper
  15. charge — a price
  16. foot — a measure
  17. squash — to crush
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. squash — the sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. game — a match
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mug — a face
  24. clip — to cut

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