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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 116 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: racket · wave · kid · deal · game · shower · nail · present

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. present — the time now
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. kid — to tease
  8. shower — rain
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. shower — to wash
  12. kid — child
  13. game — wild animals
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. present — there
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — a gift
  22. game — a match
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. game — a kind of play

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