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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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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: safe · racket · last · date · foot · drill · club · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. club — for dancing
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spell — letters
  7. club — a group
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. last — final
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. last — finally
  12. drill — the tool
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. foot — a measure
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spell — a short time
  23. club — for golf
  24. last — to go on

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