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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 120 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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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: nail · drill · racket · perch · cap · ground · cabinet · temple

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ground — the earth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — of ice
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ground — crushed
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. drill — army training
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ground — a position
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. temple — a place of worship

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