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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. drill — army training
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cap — a hat
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ball — a dance
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. squash — to crush
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cap — a lid
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitch — completely

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