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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: pitch · pitcher · arm · season · degree · suit · nail · trunk

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. suit — in cards
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. season — of the year
  12. pitch — completely
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. degree — temperature
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — in sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. suit — clothes
  22. degree — an amount
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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