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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · bear · deal · nail · can · wound · wind · club

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. can — a tin
  16. club — for golf
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — a group
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wound — an injury
  21. club — for dancing
  22. can — a tin
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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