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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 · pitch · track · wound · shower · date · cabinet · cue

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. track — a path
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wound — an injury
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. drill — army training
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. shower — to wash
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cue — a signal
  19. track — a song
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. shower — rain
  24. cue — for pool

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