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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 116 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: bowl · drill · ruler · fan · pitch · ball · track · hand

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. drill — a practice
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — help
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. drill — army training
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — a song
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. track — a path
  24. ball — a great time

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