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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: racket · chair · toast · kick · fine · nail

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fine — all right
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fine — high quality
  9. toast — bread
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kick — in football
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. racket — a loud noise

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