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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 · wound · craft · suit · bore · ball · coach · object

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. object — to protest
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. craft — boats
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bore — to drill
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. bore — to tire
  18. object — an aim
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. object — a thing
  21. drill — a practice
  22. ball — a dance
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. suit — in cards

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