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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: stick · clip · rash · craft · pitch · date · tube · rest

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. tube — a container
  3. rash — a series
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rest — what's left
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rest — what's left
  8. craft — boats
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. clip — a video
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. date — the fruit
  22. craft — a skill
  23. clip — to cut
  24. craft — a handicraft

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