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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: pass · mark · pitch · squash · nail · ground · row · present

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. squash — the sport
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. present — there
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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