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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: drill · pitch · can · board · season · racket · object · land

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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. drill — the tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — to come down
  6. drill — a practice
  7. land — ground
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. object — a thing
  10. board — to get on
  11. season — of the year
  12. drill — army training
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. season — in sport
  16. pitch — completely
  17. object — an aim
  18. can — to be able to
  19. object — to protest
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — a country

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