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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · pitch · nail · capital · shower · perch · trunk · drill

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitch — completely
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. perch — the fish
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. shower — rain
  16. dip — to sink
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — on a finger

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