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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.

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 · race · present · board · capital · ball · mug · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. race — a contest
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. present — a gift
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ball — a dance
  8. board — to get on
  9. race — humankind
  10. capital — money
  11. board — a committee
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mug — a face
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. capital — a city
  19. present — the time now
  20. ball — a great time
  21. present — there
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. nail — on a finger

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