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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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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: pitcher · hide · pit · stick · wind · swing · drill · stem

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — to come from
  5. drill — army training
  6. pit — in a race
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. swing — music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. swing — in golf
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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