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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.

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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: pass · stock · clip · drill · pitch · arm · wave · band

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. clip — for paper
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. clip — to cut
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. clip — a video
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — completely
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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