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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: kid · pitch · mark · can · temple · firm · clip · rock

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. kid — to tease
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rock — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. clip — a video
  10. firm — decided
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. firm — steady
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pitch — completely
  19. firm — a company
  20. can — a tin
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — a trace

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