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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 116 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: tear · racket · pitcher · ground · rock · bound · drill · bass

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bound — obliged
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bass — low music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — a stone
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bound — certain
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the fish
  15. drill — a practice
  16. tear — to rip
  17. drill — army training
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rock — music
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bass — the instrument

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