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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.

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: hide · court · club · pit · rock · lash · drill · fan

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. court — for sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. drill — army training
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. court — of law
  9. pit — a hole
  10. club — for dancing
  11. court — of a king
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rock — a stone
  19. club — for golf
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — in a race
  23. club — a group
  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