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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.

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: pit · clip · can · stick · coach · row · bat · lean

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bat — the animal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — to bend
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — a line
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — thin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. clip — for paper

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