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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 120 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 · clip · ball · squash · racket · stock · bulb · charge

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. drill — army training
  4. clip — a video
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. charge — in control
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stock — goods
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — shares
  19. clip — for paper
  20. ball — a dance
  21. squash — to crush
  22. charge — a price
  23. bulb — for light
  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