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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. drill — the tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. club — a group
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — for sport
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. court — of a king
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — of law
  18. club — for golf
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. drill — army training

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