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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: deal · bat · bore · cap · charge · nail · firm · pitch

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. charge — electricity
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bore — to drill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bat — the animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. firm — decided
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — in control
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. firm — a company
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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