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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 · bear · straw · drill · squash · rash · mate · toast

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mate — to breed
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. drill — army training
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. toast — bread
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mate — a partner
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rash — a series
  24. straw — a straw man

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