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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: can · tear · pitch · clip · nail · date · wave · bowl

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. can — a tin
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. tear — from crying
  12. clip — to cut
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tear — to rip
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. clip — a video
  24. date — the fruit

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