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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 120 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: can · bear · pitch · staff · nail · squash · bat · pop

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. can — to be able to
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. staff — employees
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. can — a tin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. can — a tin
  20. pop — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. squash — to crush
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pop — soda

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