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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
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 · content · temple · pitch · hide · ball · drill · rush

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. drill — army training
  3. content — the amount
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. drill — the tool
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. drill — a practice
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. content — happy

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