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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · foot · drill · pitch · scale · hide · hand · pitcher

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. drill — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitch — completely
  5. drill — army training
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hand — help
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hand — in cards
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. drill — a practice
  24. hide — to keep secret

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