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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: squash · saw · hand · pitch · club · roll · dip · lie

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitch — completely
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. club — for golf
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lie — to recline
  12. club — for dancing
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hand — help
  17. roll — a list
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. dip — to sink
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. club — a group
  22. squash — to crush
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitch — a sports field

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