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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 · pitch · deal · file · clip · suit · craft · bank

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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 — for paper
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bank — for money
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bank — of a river
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. craft — a skill
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. craft — boats
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. deal — to handle
  22. clip — to cut
  23. racket — for tennis
  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