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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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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: clip · toast · rock · pitch · pit · pass · tear · pop

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pop — soda
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tear — from crying
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. clip — a video
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pop — music

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