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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 116 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: pitcher · pop · key · bark · straw · pass · rush · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pass — a permit
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pop — music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pop — soda
  17. key — in music
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. key — the most important part
  20. clip — a video
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. key — for a lock
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pass — to spend time

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