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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: mine · sharp · bear · pitch · pass · pitcher · nail · race

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — a permit
  3. race — a contest
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. race — humankind
  9. bear — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. race — the arms race
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bear — to put up with

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