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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: last · pitch · chair · coach · drill · nail · squash · mate

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. drill — a practice
  6. last — final
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. last — to go on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — army training
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chair — a leader
  18. drill — the tool
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mate — to breed
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mate — a partner
  24. chair — a professorship

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