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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: bass · coach · clip · stand · lash · pit · date · rule

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rule — government
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. clip — to cut
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rule — a law
  18. stand — to bear
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pit — a hole

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