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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: cap · drill · rest · file · last · saw · pass · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. file — a document
  7. last — final
  8. saw — the tool
  9. file — a tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rest — a break
  12. drill — army training
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. last — to go on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. last — finally
  24. rest — what's left

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