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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: clip · sharp · pitch · bulb · toast · firm · bat · pop

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. clip — a video
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. toast — bread
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pop — soda
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. firm — steady
  12. pop — to visit
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. firm — a company
  15. sharp — clever
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pop — music
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. clip — to cut

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