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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.

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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: drill · season · dip · track · pitch · rest · safe · chip

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — a song
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. track — to keep track
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. season — in sport
  21. track — a path
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. drill — army training
  24. rest — a break

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