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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: pop · pitcher · clip · track · pitch · mug · rest · spring

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — a path
  9. mug — a face
  10. track — a song
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitch — completely
  15. clip — for paper
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spring — the season
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spring — of water
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pop — to visit
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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