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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: game · pitch · can · bank · straw · drill · sharp · lie

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. can — to be able to
  3. drill — army training
  4. pitch — completely
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bank — of a river
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. game — wild animals
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. game — a match
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — a straw man

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