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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 120 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 · pass · cabinet · tear · staff · clip · degree · nail

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. tear — to rip
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitch — completely
  5. tear — from crying
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pass — a permit
  9. clip — to cut
  10. degree — temperature
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. degree — from a university
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. staff — employees
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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