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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. squash — to crush
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tear — from crying
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. tear — from crying
  11. drill — the tool
  12. tube — a container
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. present — a gift
  19. tear — to rip
  20. present — the time now
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. present — there
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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