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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: pitch · clip · staff · rush · mouse · fork · deal · track

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. clip — to cut
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fork — in a road
  11. clip — a video
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitch — completely
  14. track — a path
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rush — hurry
  22. track — a song
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. staff — employees

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