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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.

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: squash · content · saw · racket · swing · drill · mug · bark

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mug — to rob
  9. drill — army training
  10. swing — to play on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. content — the amount
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mug — a face
  17. squash — the sport
  18. drill — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. swing — music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — in golf

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