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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: hide · pound · pitch · bat · lean · can · ground · nail

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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 — completely
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. ground — a position
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ground — the earth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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