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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: pitcher · cap · deal · mark · lie · nail · foot · last

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. last — final
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cap — a hat
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. last — to go on
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — a measure
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lie — to recline
  21. last — finally
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. foot — the bottom

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