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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: pitch · nail · stand · jam · wake · fan · spring · clip

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. clip — a video
  3. spring — of water
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. clip — to cut
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitch — completely
  10. clip — for paper
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wake — a trail
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spring — the season
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stand — on your feet

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