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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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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: pound · stick · object · drill · pitch · chair · row · ground

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitch — completely
  4. drill — army training
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chair — a leader
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. object — a thing
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. object — an aim
  16. row — a line
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. row — to paddle
  22. object — to protest
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pound — a weight

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