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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.

Make a worksheet

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: drill · pitcher · prune · pitch · fine · root · stick · game

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. game — a match
  9. root — of a word
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — army training
  12. game — wild animals
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fine — all right
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitch — completely
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — a practice
  23. root — of a plant
  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