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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 120 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: bat · pitcher · nail · cold · track · lie · march · suit

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. track — to keep track
  8. march — the month
  9. track — a path
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. march — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. track — a song
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cold — not warm
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. suit — clothes

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