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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: pop · mine · racket · bowl · rest · row · sharp · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pop — soda
  3. row — to paddle
  4. drill — army training
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pop — music
  14. row — a line
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mine — for digging
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rest — a break
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bowl — a dish

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