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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: racket · firm · saw · drill · foot · mine · straw · season

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. drill — army training
  3. firm — decided
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. foot — a measure
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. firm — a company
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. saw — the tool
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. drill — the tool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. firm — steady
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. season — of the year
  20. saw — the tool
  21. season — in sport
  22. drill — a practice
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mine — belonging to me

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