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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 · net · drill · bat · cabinet · court · nail · mouse

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bat — the animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — after costs
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — for sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. net — for catching

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