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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: pitcher · spell · mine · track · cabinet · firm · drill · cap

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — to keep track
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cap — of ice
  13. drill — army training
  14. track — a song
  15. firm — a company
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. drill — a practice
  18. firm — steady
  19. spell — letters
  20. track — a path
  21. mine — for digging
  22. firm — decided
  23. spell — magic
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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