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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. squash — the sport
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. swing — to play on
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cold — an illness
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pit — a hole
  17. squash — to crush
  18. swing — in golf
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. suit — in cards
  23. swing — music
  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