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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 116 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: drill · stick · bowl · object · hand · current · rash · pitch

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rash — a series
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. current — happening now
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. drill — army training
  16. current — electric
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — a thing
  19. current — of water
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pitch — completely
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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