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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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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: drill · staff · pitch · racket · stock · swing · object · tear

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. swing — in golf
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. drill — a practice
  10. tear — from crying
  11. object — an aim
  12. drill — army training
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. object — a thing
  15. stock — goods
  16. object — to protest
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stock — shares
  24. drill — the tool

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