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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: straw · clip · net · current · bear · suit · pitch · dip

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. clip — a video
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. clip — for paper
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bear — the animal
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitch — completely
  13. suit — clothes
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. clip — to cut
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. suit — in cards
  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