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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 · lean · ruler · pitch · clip · foot · date · object

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. object — an aim
  5. lean — to bend
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. object — to protest
  8. pitch — completely
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — thin
  13. clip — for paper
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. clip — to cut
  16. date — the fruit
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — a thing
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. clip — a video
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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