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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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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: jam · rule · kick · clip · firm · tear · drill · pitch

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. firm — steady
  4. clip — for paper
  5. drill — the tool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rule — government
  9. tear — from crying
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. clip — a video
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. drill — army training
  15. firm — a company
  16. clip — to cut
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. drill — a practice
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. kick — in football
  23. rule — a law
  24. tear — to rip

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