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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: file · ground · stand · present · stick · pitch · pitcher · nail

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ground — crushed
  6. file — a document
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. file — a tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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