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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: drill · toast · race · lash · rock · pit · net · swing

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. net — in sport
  3. swing — to play on
  4. race — the arms race
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. race — a contest
  21. rock — music
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. rock — to move gently

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