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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 · board · cabinet · pitcher · pop · hide · craft · file

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. craft — a skill
  4. board — to get on
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pop — music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. drill — army training
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. pop — soda
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. drill — a practice
  19. craft — boats
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — a committee
  24. cabinet — ministers

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