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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 · suit · can · cold · bound · pitcher · vault · pitch

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bound — certain
  3. cold — not warm
  4. suit — to fit
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. can — to be able to
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. drill — army training
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. can — a tin
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. drill — the tool

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