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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 116 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: pit · mine · kick · nail · mouse · ball · stand · wake

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ball — a dance
  12. kick — in football
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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