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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: row · pound · coach · mouse · ground · craft · nail · pitch

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — a position
  3. pitch — completely
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. craft — boats
  24. row — a line

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