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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: pop · coach · bat · drill · jam · kick · net · race

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. kick — in football
  5. pop — soda
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. net — in sport
  8. bat — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. race — humankind
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pop — music
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. net — for catching
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. drill — a practice
  23. net — after costs
  24. kick — a thrill

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