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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: chest · last · bear · deal · pitcher · drill · present · suit

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — the animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. suit — in cards
  8. present — a gift
  9. bear — the animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. last — to go on
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. chest — a box
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. chest — of your body
  20. last — final
  21. present — there
  22. suit — clothes
  23. drill — a practice
  24. last — finally

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