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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — a thing
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. shower — rain
  7. object — to protest
  8. stock — shares
  9. kick — in football
  10. object — an aim
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stock — goods
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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