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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 · deal · wake · court · fan · foot · staff · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — to handle
  9. court — of law
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. staff — a stick
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. court — for sport
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. court — of a king

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