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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: saw · clip · land · wake · pop · pass · rush · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pop — soda
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pass — a permit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — hurry
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. land — ground
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wake — a trail
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pop — music
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. clip — a video

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