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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: nail · drill · pitch · date · current · snap · pass · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. current — electric
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. date — the fruit
  6. current — of water
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. snap — to click
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. drill — army training
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. current — happening now
  19. drill — a practice
  20. firm — a company
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. firm — decided

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