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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · drill · pitcher · racket · pop · object · land · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mug — a face
  10. pop — soda
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wake — a trail
  13. land — ground
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. land — to come down
  16. drill — army training
  17. pop — to visit
  18. land — a country
  19. object — an aim
  20. pop — music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. object — a thing
  23. mug — a cup
  24. object — to protest

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