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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: bowl · net · drill · nail · pitch · branch · charge · dip

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. charge — a price
  4. drill — the tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — a practice
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pitch — completely
  17. dip — to sink
  18. drill — army training
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. charge — electricity
  24. net — for catching

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