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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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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 · bay · pitch · ground · board · craft · wave · march

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. march — the month
  3. pitch — completely
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ground — a position
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. board — a committee
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — boats
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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