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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 · wound · prune · dip · object · fan · drill · can

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. object — a thing
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. can — to be able to
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. drill — a practice
  9. dip — to sink
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. object — to protest
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. prune — to trim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. object — an aim
  24. fan — a supporter

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