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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 116 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: pitch · branch · clip · nail · rest · staff · squash · net

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. squash — to crush
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. clip — a video
  10. squash — the sport
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. net — for catching
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pitch — completely
  18. staff — employees
  19. branch — a division
  20. net — after costs
  21. staff — a stick
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. net — in sport

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