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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: chest · net · drill · mine · cap · ruler · racket · toast

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cap — a hat
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. chest — a box
  8. net — after costs
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chest — of your body
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — for catching
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. toast — bread
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. net — in sport
  24. mine — for digging

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