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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.

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: drill · pitch · scale · racket · cue · hand · mate · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mate — a friend
  5. scale — in music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. scale — size or range
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. hand — in cards
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mate — to breed
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mate — a partner

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