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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: bowl · racket · lean · present · deal · row

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. present — the time now
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. row — to paddle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. row — a line
  12. present — there
  13. lean — thin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. present — a gift

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