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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.

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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 · nail · pitch · race · lie · pitcher · saw · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. drill — a practice
  3. race — humankind
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — the arms race
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. drill — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. suit — clothes
  19. drill — army training
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. race — a contest

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