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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 · key · clip · mate · suit · club · swing · temple

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. swing — to play on
  3. clip — to cut
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. club — for golf
  11. swing — music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. swing — in golf
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mate — a partner
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. clip — for paper
  18. club — a group
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitch — completely
  22. suit — to fit
  23. clip — a video
  24. mate — a friend

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