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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: swing · file · clip · bark · pass · stand · cabinet · pitch

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. clip — a video
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. swing — in golf
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bark — to shout
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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