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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: court · file · nail · pitch · hide · pitcher · plane · wake

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wake — a trail
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — for sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. court — of law
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. court — of a king
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. file — a document
  24. hide — to keep secret

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