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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. last — to go on
  5. drill — the tool
  6. root — the cause
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wound — an injury
  9. swing — music
  10. drill — army training
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. root — of a plant
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. last — final
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. swing — in golf
  19. root — of a word
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wound — an injury
  23. swing — to play on
  24. coach — a trainer

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