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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: pitch · kick · patient · capital · dip · clip · racket · ruler

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. dip — to sink
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. capital — money
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. capital — a city
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. clip — to cut
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. clip — for paper
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kick — in football
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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