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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: drill · ground · suit · deal · mate · game · pitcher · bat

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ground — a position
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mate — a friend
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mate — to breed
  10. suit — clothes
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. drill — army training
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. drill — the tool
  19. ground — crushed
  20. game — a match
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. deal — to handle
  23. drill — a practice
  24. suit — to fit

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