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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
468
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: bowl · pitch · pitcher · cold · cabinet · nail · board · face

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. face — part of the head
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cold — an illness
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. face — to confront
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. board — to get on

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