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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.

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: pitch · track · nail · saw · shower · last · kick · present

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. present — there
  3. track — to keep track
  4. present — the time now
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. saw — the tool
  7. shower — rain
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — a path
  10. pitch — completely
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. present — a gift
  14. track — a song
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. saw — the tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. last — finally

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