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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: racket · jam · pitch · lie · clip · arm · cue · rash

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lie — to recline
  3. clip — a video
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rash — hasty
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — a series
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cue — for pool
  24. arm — part of the body

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