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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: pitch · swing · pop · nail · prune · safe · bark · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. swing — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitch — completely
  6. clip — a video
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pop — soda
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bark — to shout
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. swing — in golf
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pop — music
  24. safe — a strongbox

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