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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 120 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: can · ground · fork · nail · pitch · hide · mine · sharp

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mine — for digging
  16. ground — a position
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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