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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 116 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: pitcher · file · present · bay · coach · fine · clip · pit

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. present — the time now
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. clip — a video
  11. file — a tool
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pit — in a race
  23. file — a document
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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