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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · clip · tear · key · staff · firm · press · suit

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. suit — to fit
  6. key — for a lock
  7. press — a publisher
  8. staff — a stick
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. clip — a video
  12. tear — to rip
  13. firm — a company
  14. press — newspapers
  15. tear — from crying
  16. suit — in cards
  17. firm — decided
  18. key — the most important part
  19. clip — to cut
  20. key — in music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — to push
  24. staff — employees

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