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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: ground · pitch · plane · hide · patient · tear · pass · nail

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitch — completely
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ground — a position
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. tear — to rip

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