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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.

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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: pitch · spell · squash · straw · nail · can · fan · bound

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spell — a short time
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spell — magic
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bound — tied together
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — completely
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spell — letters
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bound — certain
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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