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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.

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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: dip · can · pitch · chest · ruler · board · drill · lie

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chest — of your body
  7. drill — army training
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chest — a box
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. board — to get on
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pitch — completely
  24. board — a committee

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