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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: pitch · drill · track · ball · cabinet · straw · bank · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a dance
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. track — a song
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bank — of a river
  20. drill — army training
  21. ball — a great time
  22. track — a path
  23. pitch — completely
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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