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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · kick · pit · pitcher · spring · track · bay · dip

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spring — a coil
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. kick — in football
  10. clip — a video
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — to keep track
  15. clip — to cut
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spring — of water
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spring — the season
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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