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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · drill · file · wave · craft · hide · bat · track

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. craft — boats
  12. bat — the animal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. drill — the tool
  15. track — a song
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. track — a path
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. file — a tool
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. file — a line of people

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