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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · cell · pitcher · march · drill · rash · nail · pop

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pop — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. march — the month
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. march — the month
  16. can — to be able to
  17. march — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. can — a tin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cell — in biology

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