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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: stand · charge · file · march · nail · pitcher · foot · hide

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. charge — electricity
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. march — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. file — a document
  16. charge — in control
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. charge — a price
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. march — the month
  24. file — a tool

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