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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.

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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: prune · suit · bass · pitcher · clip · row · hide · pass

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — clothes
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bass — low music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. clip — a video
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. row — to paddle
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. clip — for paper
  18. row — a line
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pass — a permit

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