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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 · staff · content · object · wind · mark · bore · coach

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — to tire
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wind — moving air
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. content — the amount
  10. object — a thing
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. staff — employees
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mark — a grade
  19. content — happy
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bore — gave birth

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