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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. squash — to crush
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. drill — army training
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stock — shares
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pass — a permit
  15. squash — the sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stock — goods
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. drill — a practice
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. racket — for tennis

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