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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: kick · racket · bark · rush · swing · drill · bore · can

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bore — to tire
  11. drill — a practice
  12. swing — in golf
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. drill — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — army training
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. kick — in football
  23. bark — to shout
  24. racket — for tennis

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