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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: pitch · net · drill · ball · mouse · mark · rash · hide

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rash — a series
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ball — a dance
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. drill — army training
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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