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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: roll · craft · fan · kick · hand · pitch · toast · drill

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hand — help
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. drill — army training
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. hand — in cards
  12. drill — a practice
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — boats
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitch — completely
  22. toast — bread
  23. roll — a list
  24. drill — the tool

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