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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: squash · nail · present · rush · pitch · field · bore · calf

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. present — the time now
  4. rush — hurry
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. squash — to crush
  9. field — for sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bore — to drill
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. present — a gift
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — there
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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