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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 120 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: dip · wound · pitch · drill · rush · pitcher · ground · lean

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pitch — completely
  4. dip — to sink
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wound — an injury
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ground — a position
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wound — an injury
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ground — crushed
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lean — to bend

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