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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 120 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: pitch · charge · clip · straw · plane · drill · can · suit

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. charge — electricity
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. charge — in control
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — to cut
  12. drill — a practice
  13. charge — a price
  14. clip — for paper
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitch — completely
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. can — to be able to
  24. clip — a video

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