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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: pitcher · pitch · mine · dip · mug · drill · mark · vault

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mug — a cup
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitch — completely
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mug — a face
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — a safe
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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