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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 116 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: pitcher · can · pitch · rest · clip · bank · track · lean

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitch — completely
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. rest — what's left
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rest — a break
  14. lean — to bend
  15. can — a tin
  16. clip — a video
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bank — of a river

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