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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: pitcher · season · pitch · nail · track · club · hide · tear

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. season — of the year
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. club — for golf
  5. tear — to rip
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a song
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pitch — completely
  13. track — a path
  14. club — a group
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — for dancing
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — in sport
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. track — to keep track
  24. season — to add flavour

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