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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: date · drill · tube · racket · wake · coach · can · press

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. press — to push
  3. wake — a trail
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. drill — a practice
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. press — newspapers
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tube — a container
  18. press — a publisher
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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