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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: pitch · current · mug · ground · foot · rash · clip · cap

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rash — a series
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rash — hasty
  9. current — happening now
  10. ground — a position
  11. current — of water
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ground — the earth
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. clip — for paper
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ground — crushed
  23. current — electric
  24. clip — a video

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