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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: pitcher · cap · net · saw · drill · pit · board · mug

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cap — a hat
  3. board — a committee
  4. drill — army training
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cap — a lid
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cap — of ice
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. saw — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pit — in a race
  23. drill — the tool
  24. board — a flat piece

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