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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · bay · drill · pit · sharp · rule · wound · mug

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — government
  8. drill — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. drill — army training
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rule — a law
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pit — in a race
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pit — a hole
  24. sharp — clever

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