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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 120 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: rush · last · pitch · drill · file · foot · squash · net

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. file — a document
  3. net — in sport
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. last — final
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. net — for catching
  8. drill — the tool
  9. squash — to crush
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitch — completely
  12. last — finally
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. drill — a practice
  15. squash — the sport
  16. drill — army training
  17. rush — hurry
  18. last — to go on
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pitch — a sports field

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