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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: deal · kick · net · pop · drill · pass · suit · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. net — in sport
  3. pop — soda
  4. net — after costs
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pass — a permit
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. drill — a practice
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pop — music
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. drill — army training
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kick — in football

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