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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 · last · foot · pitcher · racket · club · cabinet · pit

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. last — to go on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. foot — a measure
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. club — for golf
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. last — final
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. last — finally
  19. pit — a hole
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. club — a group
  23. pit — in a race
  24. racket — a loud noise

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