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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: club · pitch · stand · clip · saw · spell · nail · bay

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. clip — to cut
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitch — completely
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. clip — a video
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stand — to bear
  18. club — a group
  19. spell — magic
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spell — letters
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — for golf

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