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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: nail · date · spell · ball · lie · fall · drill · pitch

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spell — letters
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ball — a dance
  10. date — the fruit
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ball — a great time
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fall — the season
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pitch — completely

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