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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: nail · jam · pit · lean · club · pitch · straw · fork

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. club — a group
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. club — for dancing
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lean — thin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pit — in a race
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lean — to bend
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pit — a hole
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. club — for golf
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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