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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. game — wild animals
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stand — to bear
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mug — a face
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. game — a match

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