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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
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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: present · pitcher · cabinet · cap · pit · drill · cold · bark

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cold — an illness
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. drill — army training
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cap — a lid
  10. present — the time now
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bark — to shout
  22. present — there
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. present — a gift

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