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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: roll · bay · mate · pit · nail · sharp · pitch · straw

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. sharp — clever
  8. roll — a cake
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pitch — completely
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mate — a partner

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