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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitch · fan · nail · bear · staff · mine · dip · bay

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bear — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitch — completely
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. staff — employees
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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