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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: hide · rest · ground · racket · drill · pitcher · kick · club

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. drill — army training
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. club — for dancing
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ground — a position
  14. kick — in football
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — a group
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — what's left
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. drill — a practice

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