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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: lash · tube · pitch · sharp · current · deal · pit · clip

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. current — electric
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pit — in a race
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. current — of water
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. current — happening now
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — to cut
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tube — a container
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. tube — the underground

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