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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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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 · suit · race · rest · clip · racket · present · bass

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bass — low music
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. race — a contest
  5. present — the time now
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. clip — to cut
  9. suit — to fit
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. present — a gift
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — in cards
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rest — what's left
  16. present — there
  17. clip — for paper
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. clip — a video
  20. race — the arms race
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rest — what's left
  23. race — humankind
  24. pitch — a sports field

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