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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: file · pop · snap · kid · pitch · nail · track · sharp

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. kid — child
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — to tease
  6. file — a line of people
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. file — a document
  11. track — a song
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pop — soda
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — clever
  21. snap — to click
  22. pop — music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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