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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: ball · lean · pitch · fan · nail · mark · calf · rock

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lean — thin
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lean — to bend
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rock — music

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