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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · rock · chair · file · fine · pitch · safe · sharp

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rock — music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. file — a tool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. clip — a video
  17. fine — high quality
  18. file — a document
  19. clip — to cut
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. clip — for paper

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