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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: stand · scale · pit · bat · hide · nail · pitch · saw

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. scale — in music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. scale — size or range
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stand — to bear

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