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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: row · pit · pitch · coach · last · drill · fall · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. drill — a practice
  3. band — a music group
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fall — the season
  6. row — to paddle
  7. last — to go on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. drill — the tool
  10. last — finally
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. row — a line
  16. pit — in a race
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a ring
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fall — to drop
  21. drill — army training
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pitch — completely
  24. last — final

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