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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: drill · pitcher · racket · nail · staff · kick · game · coach

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. staff — employees
  9. drill — the tool
  10. staff — a stick
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. drill — army training
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kick — in football
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. game — wild animals
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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