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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
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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: season · lie · firm · roll · pitch · mug · clip · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitch — completely
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. firm — steady
  6. season — in sport
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mug — a face
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mug — to rob
  13. roll — a cake
  14. clip — to cut
  15. firm — a company
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — a cup
  19. clip — a video
  20. roll — a list
  21. lie — to recline
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. season — of the year

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