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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: mark · mug · racket · pitcher · club · clip · drill · net

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. net — in sport
  3. clip — a video
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a cup
  6. drill — a practice
  7. club — for golf
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. net — after costs
  10. mug — to rob
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — a grade
  13. clip — to cut
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mug — a face
  19. club — a group
  20. mark — a trace
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — the tool
  24. clip — for paper

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