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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 116 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: nail · club · press · bay · pitch · stem · drill · patient

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. press — to push
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitch — completely
  14. drill — the tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. press — newspapers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. drill — army training
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stem — to come from
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — on a finger

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