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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · pitch · tear · nail · mug · trunk · stand · file

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. mug — to rob
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stand — to bear
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mug — a cup
  15. file — a document
  16. court — of a king
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stand — on your feet
  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