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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: nail · mark · hide · chair · wax · pitcher · coach · pitch

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitch — completely
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mark — a trace
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chair — a leader
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. nail — for a hammer

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