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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 · dip · club · date · can · pitch · rash · fine

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. drill — the tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fine — all right
  9. date — the fruit
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — a group
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. drill — army training
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rash — a series
  22. club — for golf
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fine — high quality

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