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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: pit · firm · fall · swing · can · bat · rush · drill

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. drill — a practice
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rush — hurry
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. can — a tin
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bat — the animal
  13. drill — army training
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. swing — music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fall — the season
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. firm — a company

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