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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — for money
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. kid — to tease
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — soda
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ball — a dance
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pop — music
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. ball — a great time

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