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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: squash · march · racket · bound · kick · cue · drill · rash

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bound — certain
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cue — a hint
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. drill — army training
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. march — music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bound — obliged
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — the month
  24. squash — the sport

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