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

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rock — music
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. drill — a practice
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pit — a hole
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. court — of a king
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. court — of law
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. court — for sport

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