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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: drill · squash · date · temple · cabinet · racket · stick · mate

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. drill — a practice
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. drill — army training
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — a partner
  21. date — the fruit
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. date — on the calendar

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