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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: drill · tear · key · object · court · can · saw · coach

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tear — to rip
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — in music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. saw — the tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. court — for sport
  9. key — for a lock
  10. object — a thing
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. drill — a practice
  14. tear — from crying
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. object — to protest
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. drill — army training
  20. key — the most important part
  21. object — an aim
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. drill — the tool

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