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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: pitch · content · fall · field · nail · arm · racket · pitcher

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fall — the season
  12. field — farmland
  13. content — the amount
  14. pitch — completely
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. field — a subject
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  24. content — happy

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