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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: game · lie · track · foot · mug · pitch · drill · file

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. drill — the tool
  3. track — a path
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitch — completely
  7. track — to keep track
  8. file — a line of people
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. file — a tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mug — a cup
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. file — a document
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. drill — army training
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. track — a song

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