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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
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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: can · clip · pit · pitch · wake · swing · rash · net

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. clip — a video
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. swing — in golf
  10. can — to be able to
  11. clip — for paper
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. clip — to cut
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rash — a series
  20. swing — music
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — in sport

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