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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.

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: sharp · file · mouse · nail · mark · pitch · pitcher · season

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. season — of the year
  8. sharp — clever
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a trace
  13. file — a document
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — a grade
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. file — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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