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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · court · cue · march · net · drill · nail · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. net — for catching
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. net — after costs
  7. deal — to handle
  8. drill — army training
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. march — music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. march — the month
  13. court — of law
  14. march — the month
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. court — for sport
  18. cue — for pool
  19. net — in sport
  20. drill — a practice
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. nail — for a hammer

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