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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: pitcher · stand · trunk · cabinet · pitch · can · sharp · nail

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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