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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: season · pitcher · rock · bear · pitch · foot · lean · drill

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lean — to bend
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitch — completely
  6. season — of the year
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. drill — army training
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rock — music
  19. season — in sport
  20. rock — a stone
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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