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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 · rule · ground · pitcher · swing · ball · mouse · nail

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rule — government
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ground — crushed
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ground — a position
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. swing — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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