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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: nail · fine · key · squash · dip · pitch · shower · bat

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. squash — the sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. key — the most important part
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. shower — to wash
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. key — in music

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