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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.

Words on the sheet
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: racket · mug · tear · drill · ground · bowl · toast · stock

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stock — goods
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tear — from crying
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. toast — bread
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ground — a position
  22. mug — a face
  23. drill — army training
  24. bowl — a dish

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