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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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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: lie · racket · cap · bowl · drill · club · race · kick

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. club — for golf
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lie — to recline
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. race — a contest
  14. club — a group
  15. cap — a hat
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. race — humankind
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kick — a thrill

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