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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. drill — the tool
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. can — a tin
  13. cue — a signal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. drill — a practice
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. drill — army training
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. can — to be able to

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