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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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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: pit · chip · bass · fork · clip · pass · tear · rash

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bass — the fish
  5. clip — a video
  6. rash — a series
  7. clip — for paper
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bass — low music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. tear — to rip
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fork — a garden tool

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