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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: bank · nail · last · ground · file · pitcher · can · pit

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. pit — a hole
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ground — a position
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — crushed
  11. can — a tin
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. last — to go on
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. can — a tin

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