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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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468
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 · pop · staff · nail · drill · bowl · wave · swing

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. drill — a practice
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pop — music
  9. staff — a stick
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. swing — in golf
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. drill — army training
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. staff — employees
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. swing — music
  24. staff — employees

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