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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 120 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stock — goods
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wound — an injury
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wound — an injury
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stock — shares
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. snap — to click
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. squash — the 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