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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.

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: mine · stick · hand · fan · firm · pitch · nail · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — decided
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hand — help
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. firm — steady
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — for digging
  21. firm — a company
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — in cards

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