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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: saw · drill · bass · field · racket · suit · hide · tear

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. field — farmland
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. drill — army training
  5. bass — low music
  6. suit — to fit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. field — a subject
  11. drill — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tear — to rip
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. suit — in cards
  20. tear — from crying
  21. suit — clothes
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. field — for sport
  24. bass — the fish

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