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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: bear · lean · mark · rest · nail · chest · board · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mark — a grade
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rest — a break
  16. board — a committee
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. mark — a trace
  20. chest — a box
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lean — thin
  23. rest — what's left
  24. nail — on a finger

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