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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: pitch · drill · content · march · squash · bark · file · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. file — a tool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bark — to shout
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. drill — a practice
  9. file — a line of people
  10. march — the month
  11. pitch — completely
  12. ball — a great time
  13. file — a document
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. drill — army training
  17. content — happy
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — to crush
  23. content — the amount
  24. drill — the tool

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