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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: suit · bass · plane · clip · saw · safe · mine · pitch

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bass — low music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bass — the fish
  7. clip — to cut
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. suit — clothes
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. suit — to fit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. clip — a video
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. suit — in cards

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