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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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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 · bound · mug · fork · clip · pound · deal · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. clip — a video
  3. pound — a weight
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fork — in a road
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bound — obliged
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. clip — to cut
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bound — certain
  24. mug — to rob

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