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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: saw · rule · pitch · nail · ground · ruler · chest · wound

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chest — a box
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wound — an injury
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ground — a position
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rule — a law
  18. chest — of your body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — government
  23. wound — an injury
  24. nail — on a finger

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