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

Word bank: mug · nail · pitch · mine · stick · pass · ruler · kid

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mug — a face
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mine — for digging
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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