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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: key · rock · coach · pound · lash · deal · drill · game

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rock — music
  4. key — in music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. game — a match
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. drill — the tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pound — a weight
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rock — a stone
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rock — to move gently

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