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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: court · row · suit · bat · land · pitcher · nail · staff

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of law
  5. row — a line
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. court — of a king
  12. row — to paddle
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. suit — to fit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bat — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. staff — employees
  21. court — for sport
  22. suit — clothes
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. land — to come down

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