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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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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: chest · pitch · drill · wave · nail · prune · stand · squash

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stand — to bear
  10. chest — a box
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. drill — army training
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chest — of your body
  18. drill — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. drill — a practice
  24. prune — to trim

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