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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 · pop · cap · pitch · sharp · wax · vault · rush

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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. cap — a lid
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pop — soda
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pop — music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitch — completely
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pop — to visit
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cap — of ice
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitch — a sports field

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