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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · pitch · pound · coach · arm · nail · roll · wake

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. roll — a list
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. season — of the year
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pound — a weight
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — completely
  16. season — in sport
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wake — a trail
  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