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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 116 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: can · fan · season · rule · nail · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rule — government
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. season — in sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rule — a law

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