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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: pitcher · squash · race · pitch · drill · ball · mouse · present

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. race — humankind
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. squash — the sport
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a great time
  13. drill — a practice
  14. present — the time now
  15. race — the arms race
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. race — a contest
  19. present — there
  20. drill — army training
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mouse — the animal

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