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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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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: wound · racket · fork · drill · coach · pit · wake · pop

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pit — in a race
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pit — a hole
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. drill — army training
  24. fork — a garden tool

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