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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rest · lash · racket · rash · nail · ground · march · pitcher

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. march — the month
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — a series
  16. march — music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ground — a position
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ground — crushed

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