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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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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: straw · racket · snap · coach · pitch · nail · patient · fork

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fork — in a road
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pitch — completely
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. snap — to click
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fork — to eat with

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