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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: cap · bass · saw · pitch · bulb · nail · row · ground

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bass — the fish
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pitch — completely
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cap — a lid
  23. row — to paddle
  24. ground — a position

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