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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: rock · clip · pound · calf · suit · band · pitch · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — clothes
  5. clip — a video
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pitch — completely
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. suit — to fit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pound — a weight
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. band — a ring
  18. clip — for paper
  19. band — a music group
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rock — a stone

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