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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: drill · bore · season · bank · mouse · fine · racket · coach

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fine — all right
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. drill — army training
  12. bank — of a river
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bore — to drill
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. season — in sport
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. season — of the year
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bore — gave birth

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