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

Word bank: drill · pitch · kid · board · swing · dip

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. board — a committee
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — to get on
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. swing — in golf
  7. drill — the tool
  8. swing — music
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kid — to tease
  16. swing — to play on
  17. drill — a practice
  18. kid — child

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