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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.

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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: hide · date · tear · dip · drill · pitch · coach · deal

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — a practice
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. deal — to handle
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. drill — army training
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitch — completely
  22. date — the fruit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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