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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: file · squash · nail · racket · snap · pitch · present · pitcher

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pitch — completely
  9. squash — the sport
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. present — there
  16. snap — to click
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. file — a tool
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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