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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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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 · rest · racket · pitch · snap · suit · ground · chip

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ground — crushed
  7. suit — clothes
  8. chip — to eat
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — for tennis

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