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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · charge · squash · face · pitcher · chest · drill · pitch

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chest — a box
  5. charge — in control
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cap — a hat
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cap — of ice
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chest — of your body
  18. face — to confront
  19. charge — a price
  20. face — to point toward
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chest — of your body

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