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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 · ball · chest · nail · suit · lie · pass · wave

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chest — of your body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. lie — to recline
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ball — a dance
  18. chest — a box
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lie — an untruth

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