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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · nail · rash · board · cap · rest · track · cell

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cap — a hat
  6. track — a song
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cap — a lid
  9. board — to get on
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rest — a break
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. track — to keep track
  16. board — a committee
  17. rash — a series
  18. track — a path
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — a jug

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