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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: cap · press · clip · pitch · foot · mate · mug · scale

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mug — a face
  4. mate — to breed
  5. scale — in music
  6. press — to push
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cap — a lid
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mug — to rob
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cap — a hat
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pitch — completely
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cap — of ice
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. press — newspapers
  24. foot — the bottom

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