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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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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: pitch · saw · pit · deal · wave · nail · squash · cold

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cold — an illness
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cold — not warm
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. squash — to crush
  10. saw — the tool
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. nail — for a hammer

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