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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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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 · file · cue · mouse · pitch · kid · bank · content

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. kid — child
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — happy
  8. bank — of a river
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. drill — the tool
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cue — a signal
  17. content — the amount
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. drill — army training
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. file — a line of people

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