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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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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 · pit · pitch · coach · last · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pit — a hole
  5. drill — army training
  6. pitch — completely
  7. last — final
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pit — in a race
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. last — finally
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. coach — a trainer

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