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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: pitch · suit · straw · bore · drill · cell · key · dip

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. drill — the tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bore — to drill
  9. suit — clothes
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bore — to tire
  12. drill — army training
  13. key — in music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. drill — a practice
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cell — in biology
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pitch — completely

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