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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.

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: bowl · wound · stand · clip · pitch · fine · suit · bass

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. fine — high quality
  3. clip — for paper
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fine — all right
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bass — low music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. clip — a video
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stand — to bear

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