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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.

Make a worksheet

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: toast · hide · drill · game · squash · pitcher

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. drill — army training
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — a practice
  16. toast — bread
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport

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