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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: pitch · racket · drill · cell · object · fall · firm · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. object — to protest
  3. fall — to drop
  4. drill — a practice
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. firm — decided
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. object — an aim
  11. cell — a phone
  12. firm — steady
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fall — the season
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. firm — a company
  17. can — to be able to
  18. object — a thing
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cell — in biology
  22. drill — army training
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — the tool

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