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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 116 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: club · spell · squash · ruler · drill · pitch · cap · leaves

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. drill — a practice
  4. spell — a short time
  5. drill — the tool
  6. spell — letters
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cap — a hat
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spell — magic
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. squash — the sport
  18. club — a group
  19. drill — army training
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. club — for golf
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a lid

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