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

Word bank: stem · bear · racket · kick · mouse · deal

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kick — in football
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bear — the animal

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