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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: leaves · drill · row · pitcher · charge · wound · squash · pitch

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitch — completely
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — in control
  11. squash — the sport
  12. drill — the tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. drill — army training
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. charge — a price
  23. drill — a practice
  24. row — a line

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