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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: present · clip · rest · pit · firm · bound · scale · pitch

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. scale — in music
  3. firm — decided
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. clip — a video
  8. firm — steady
  9. rest — a break
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bound — obliged
  12. present — a gift
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. present — there
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pit — a hole
  17. firm — a company
  18. clip — for paper
  19. scale — size or range
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bound — certain
  24. pitch — completely

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