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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: mouse · shower · race · board · drill · mine · racket · mug

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. mug — a face
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. drill — army training
  11. mug — a cup
  12. race — the arms race
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mine — for digging
  18. shower — rain
  19. race — humankind
  20. mug — to rob
  21. race — a contest
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. board — a committee

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