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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 · pitch · rest · hide · roll · craft · wake · date

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. drill — army training
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rest — a break
  19. drill — the tool
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. craft — boats
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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