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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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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: pitcher · suit · bat · race · bay · nail · ground · land

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. land — to come down
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — a country
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. suit — to fit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. race — humankind
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. race — a contest
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ground — a position
  21. land — ground
  22. bat — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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