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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 116 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 · rock · object · key · game · saw · pitch · shower

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. shower — rain
  3. game — a match
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. object — an aim
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. drill — army training
  10. object — a thing
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rock — music
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. object — to protest
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pitch — completely
  18. key — for a lock
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. drill — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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