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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: bore · season · drill · cabinet · bound · racket · chair · dip

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — certain
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. season — in sport
  9. dip — to sink
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — obliged
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. season — of the year
  22. drill — army training
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bore — gave birth

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