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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: key · deal · pitcher · dip · pop · kick · drill · chest

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. drill — the tool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. chest — of your body
  6. drill — army training
  7. kick — in football
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. key — in music
  11. pop — music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pop — soda
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chest — a box
  17. drill — a practice
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pop — to visit
  21. deal — to handle
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chest — of your body
  24. key — the most important part

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